Fengshui in Hongkong

The Bank of China Tower, on the other hand, neglected good

feng shui practices and is now considered so unlucky that it
sits empty most of the year. The tower with its many sharp
edges is also said to be leaking its negative energy to its
surrounding businesses. The owner of the Lippo Centre, which
faces one of the buildings edges, went bankrupt and had to
sell the building. Similarly, the Government House, which also
faces one of the angles of the Bank of China Tower, had its
share of troubles.
To prevent such misfortunes from befalling HSBC, the bank
had two cannon-like structures installed at the top of their
building. These cannons, which are pointed towards the Bank
of China building, supposedly protects HSBC from the
dreaded Bank of China Towers negative energy by deflecting
the energy back to its source.
Hong Kongs growth in recent years has been attributed to
good feng shui. Its geographical location with the mountains
behind and waters in front is said to be excellent in accordance
to feng shui principles. Legend holds that these mountains are
home to the dragons that are said to be the bearer of positive
and powerful energy. This energy blows through Hong Kong
as the dragons make their way from the mountains to the sea
to drink and bathe.

The two negative energy deflecting cannons at

the top of HSBC building. Photo

World Architecture Influenced by Culture

A country is not only identified by its people and government,
but by its architecture. Through architecture it's possible to
gauge many things about a culture, such as lifestyle, artistic
sensibilities and social structure. [1]For example, when one
thinks of India, we think of the Tahj Mahal. Without their
culture, would it be designed that way, or would it look like
another building. The Egyptians are another amazing example,
their environment and culture produced the great pyramids.
How do modern cultures produce and maintain such beautiful
architecture?
Slovenia, which gained independence from Yugoslavia in
1991, is now economically the most progressive country that
gained independence from Europe. This country is now

helping to modernize the factories and by doing so have

actually helped lower poverty rates. Although their world
around them is modernizing, the center of their town is
ironically the older parts of the city. Everyday life focuses in
the squares, churches and the marketplace. These Slovenian
towns have many well-preserved buildings that have styles of
architecture dating back from the 1100s. Many churches such
as Sticna Abbey and Podsreda Castle are magnificent
examples of the Roman architecture. Much of the oldest
sections of Slovenia are influenced from Italian Baroque
styles, which are treasured.
Architecture is not always defined as large or magnificent;
sometimes it is simply a dwelling. For centuries, homes have
been made out of mud houses built along the main dirt road.
The roof could be used for an oven, to hold chickens, or just as
storage. Egypt, like the rest of the world is going modern, and
newer homes are being built out of brick, which although
more expensive, they can build higher which is proving to
save land. Culture has brought about the country socially with
tradition. Each village contains at least one mosque, although
only men are allowed. Churches and guest homes are churches
and guest homes are a large part of celebration and social life
but they are generally a very large hall that is noticeable in a
difference. Cairo, one of the larger cities, when it was added
onto in the nineteenth century was modeled after Paris,
France. The older parts of Cairo are still the heart of Egypt
although built with Islamic and Coptic monuments.
Chinese architecture probably has the most cultural influence.
Traditionally buildings were designed for its width, not its
height. Every important building is guarded around a large
wall to protect their assets. While ordinarily dwellings are
grey and dull, palaces and places of importance are quite
colorful. Imperial buildings have golden yellow roofs, red
columns and doors, and walls of red, pink, or purple. Tradition
and religion are the largest pieces to the Chinese culture and
architecture. Each home has their entrance at the front and
facing the east with a screen because it is believed that spirits
travel straight and cannot go through screen. The main
building faces the courtyard and childrens rooms would be on
the side of the home. The purpose of a south-facing entrance is
to avoid north winds, gain more possible sunshine during the
winter, and the overhanging eaves help to keep the building
cool in the summer, as well as help with the heavy rain.
Ireland was one of the first European countries in which
peasants could buy land. As for today, just about all farm-land
is still family owned. Irish towns generally symbolize, as far
as monuments, statues, landscaping, or museums are
concerned, those who fought for Irish freedom. Everyday
buildings such as residential or business greatly resemble
buildings from the British Isle and Northern Europe. Through
research it seems as though many countries including Ireland
traditionally are narrow and are intending to keep family and
friends very close.
Every culture can inspire a type of architecture that can inspire
a type of architecture that can range from landmarks to
everyday homes. Religion and family seem to be the most
common influences overall. Each culture is unique and the
more we learn about them, the more we appreciate our
surroundings and understand why certain things appeal to us.

Change in name will be good for

Philippines
Philippine Daily Inquirer / 12:16 AM July 15, 2016

After a difficult and seemingly endless trek, the Philippines

has finally found its rock star, nay, saviorRodrigo Roa
Duterte, its 16th president, the first from the Land of
Promise, Mindanao.
President Dutertes political savvy, his complete understanding
of the Philippine situation, his full knowledge in dealing with
it, his vast experience as a no-nonsense leader, and his being a
maverick have propelled him to the top of Philippine
officialdom. And his eclectic selection of his Cabinet leaves an
objective observer mesmerizedhe can easily sashay to the
left or to the right or to the center of the political spectrum.
His leadership is driven just by pure intention and deep
commitment to serve his country and his countrymen. No
other president before him had this much.
Mr. Duterte is truly godsend.
And he has marvelous plans for the Philippines.
At the start of his six-year term of office, he wants to change
an ineffective and outmoded Constitution via an elected
constitutional convention (Con-con) or an appointed
constitutional commission (Con-com), whichever is feasible,
not only to effect drastic changes but also to adopt a federalpresidential form of government, a la the United States. The
shift, it is hoped, will bring a long and lasting peace, progress
and development to the Philippines.
Also in order is a change in the borrowed name of the
Philippines and, consequently, a new map that will clearly
delineate our territories, to include Sabah and the West
Philippine Sea. The Federated Islands/States of Maharlika
or simply Maharlika would be a more appropriate, noblesounding and dignified new official name for the Philippines.
It will be symbolic of the countrys total national
transformation. Should this noble initiative become a reality,
Mr. Duterte will be Maharlikas first president.
Changing the name of the Philippines to Maharlika has been a
lifelong advocacy of former senator Eddie Ilarde, who took his
cue from many countries that have changed their colonial
name to a robust, dignified name. Matter of factly, these
countries destinies changed for the better after the name
change.
Actually, the Maharlika initiative started in Ilardes early
political career. It wasstill isone of his visions for the
country he loves as dearly as President Duterte does. Ilarde,
now approaching 82, as well as his legions of loyal and
faithful fans, will be ecstatic and joyful should Mr. Duterte
push this noble initiative as one of the top priority measures in
the upcoming Con-con or Con-com. Ilardes wisdom is readily
available should Mr. Duterte and his officials need it. Ilarde is
still into broadcasting (his profession before politics
beckoned).
Mr. Dutertes astonishing landslide victory in the last May 9
presidential election should serve him in good stead. There is
no need for propaganda or survey-laden communications for
the Duterte administration to impress the people. It

has just to make sure he is doing his joband doing

it well, because the people will see everything,
including
those
hidden
deliberately
and
unconscionably.

NUESTRA SEORA DEL SANTISIMO ROSARIO

LA NAVAL DE MANILA
La Gran Seora, Madre y Reina de las Yslas Filipinas
In the sixteenth century, along with the arrival of the
Dominican friars in the Philippines, came the devotion to the
Holy Rosary. The Battle of Lepanto in 1571, where Catholic
forces through the intercession of Our Lady of the Rosary
decisively defeated the Muslim Turks threatening Christian
Europe, proved to be a testimony of faith carried by the
missionaries treading possible lands. With this victory and Our
Ladys protection in mind, the friars hastened to propagate the
devotion to the rosary in the Philippines. Along with the rosary
was her image. One of these, is the Nuestra Seora del
Santissimo Rosario, La Naval de Manila.
Brief History of Our Lady of the Holy Rosary of La Naval
The Second Sunday of October is dedicated to the Feast of
Our Lady of the Rosary, La Naval de Manila. Popularly
known as La Naval, the image was canonically crowned on
October 1907 upon the orders of Pope Pius X, a first in the
country and in Asia. La Naval was acknowledged as the
patroness of Quezon City, and of the Philippines during her
feast on October 1973.
Carved in 1593 by a Chinese artisan who later on became a
convert to Catholicism, the venerated image is now enshrined
at Santo Domingo Church, Quezon City, given as a gift to and
under custody of the Dominicans; now considered the oldest
ivory carving in the Philippines.
In 1646, when Dutch invaders tried to gain possession of the
country, the image of La Naval de Manila was believed to
have helped and guided the Spanish fleet. Before each of the
battles, the intercession of Our Lady was fervently sought.
Crew members Spanish soldiers, religious, and Filipinos
vowed special homage to Our Lady for a victorious battle.
With five battles to face against the Dutch, the Filipino and
Spanish forces won despite being shorthanded with only two
merchant galleons to fight eighteen Dutch warships. They
vowed that if they emerged triumphant, they would make a
pilgrimage to the church barefoot.
On April 9, 1662, sixteen years after the successful defence of
Manila, these five battles were proclaimed miraculous by the
Cathedral Chapter of the Archdiocese of Manila. The Council
consisted of theologians, canonists, and prominent religious.
After studying all the written and oral testimonies of the
participants and eyewitnesses, the Council declared that the
victories were:
Granted by the Sovereign Lord through the intercession of
the Most Holy Virgin and devotion to her Rosary, that the
miracles be celebrated, preached and held in festivities and to
be recounted among the miracles wrought by the Lady of the
Rosary for the greater devotion of the faithful to Our Most
Blessed Virgin Mary and Her Holy Rosary
In gratitude since then, processions and novena masses in
honor of the Blessed Mother have become a tradition.

The image suffered damage during the 1762 pillage of Manila

by British troops and narrowly missed destruction during the
bombing of Manila in 1942, where the image was originally
enshrined in one of the churches in Intramuros; it was
evacuated to a safer locale and by 1954, she was finally
brought to her present home.

Ambeth R. Ocampo (born 1961) is a Filipino historian,

academic, journalist, cultural administrator and author best
known for his writings about Philippines' national hero Jos
Rizal and for Looking Back, his bi-weekly editorial page
column in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Rizal Without the Overcoat is a book by Filipino
writer Ambeth Ocampo, adapted from his "Looking Back"
column in the Philippine Daily Globe from October 1987 to
July 1990. These writings were attempts to "translate" Jos
Rizal and his historical context so that he could be better
understood by a new generationto present "a "new" Rizal
that had been obscured by school and myth."[1]
In 1999, an expanded edition of the book was published to
which was added an award-winning series of commentary on
Rizal which Ocampo had written. His column by then had
moved to the Philippine Daily Inquirer. The book is frequently
used as a reference for college courses on the Life and Works
of Jos Rizal, which is mandated by law (Republic Act 1425)
as a required course for all college students. It won the 1990
National Book Award for the Essay. Although it garnered
immense popularity, the book is criticized for its lack of
conceptual and analytic contribution to the larger debate in
Philippine historiography.

The Greening of Jose Rizal

HISTORIAN AMBETH OCAMPO explains why the National
Historical Institute recently painted a certain very famous
House in Calamba, Laguna a much-remarked upon shade of
green (and for which he was referred to unkindly "the idiot
who painted Rizal's house green).
AMBETH:...While our lawmakers debate the pros and cons of
the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, while farmers
march to Congress to push for the implementation of CARP,
we should remember that one of the seeds of Rizals heroism
was that his family was evicted not just from Calamba but
from Laguna. Contrary to popular belief, the Rizals did not
own land; they were tenants of the Dominican hacienda. They
refused to pay increased rent, went to court and lost.
...Finally, the reason for painting Rizals house green
highlights and informs visitors of the meaning of his surname.
Following the 1849 Claveria decree giving surnames to
Filipinos for tax and census purposes, the Rizals who were
also known by their other surname Mercado (market) chose
Risal from the Catalogo alfabetico de apellidos. The word
comes from the Spanish ricial which describes a green field
ready for harvest. It was hoped that after asking, Why is
Rizals house green? the visitor will get a relevant answer:
the green hues are meant to honor the memory of the Rizal
family and their way of life.

Syphilis did not cause Mabinis paralysis.

Mabini was struck down by paralysis in early 1896. Perfoming
an autopsy on Mabini's remains almost a century later in 1980,
doctors from the National Orthopedic Hospital concluded that
polio caused his paralysis.

According to historian Ambeth Ocampo, the syphilis rumor

might have been started by Mabini's detractors in government,
who called him "The Dark Chamber of the President" for
having the ear of Aguinaldo as his adviser and thus being able
to persuade him on certain issues.

Lupang Hnirang change by Joey Ayala

Changed time signature from 4/4 to 6/8 to better portray how
laid back Filipinos really are.
Corrected pronunciation of phrases "sa dagat at bundok, sa
simoy at," "may dilag and tula," and "ang kislap ng watawat"
among other phrases where the stress is misplaced due.
Changed last two lines to say "Aming ligaya, na pag may
mang-aapi, ang magmahal ng dahil sa iyo." Also added group
hug at the end to further make the point that we are peaceloving people.
Aming ligaya, na pag may mang-aapi, ang magmahal ng dahil
sa iyo.

JOEY AYALA ARRESTED FOR VIOLATING

NATIONAL ANTHEM LAW
Noted composer, singer, and national icon Joey Ayala is now
in hot water for what was supposed to be a lighthearted talk at
the TEDxDiliman 2013 event held in UP Diliman last week.
During the talk, Joey Ayala made minor changes to the
wordings of Lupang Hinirang to improve clarity and stress the
meaning of the words in the National Anthem. This
apparently did not sit well with the National Historical
Institute (NHI), as with most things that are hip and cool.
Ayala was arrested earlier this morning in front of his house
by elements of the special armed intervention group of the
National Historical Institute and was taken to Intramuros for
paperwork and further questioning. Ayala was chosen to do
the talk for his previous experience as Chairman of Music in
the National Commission for Culture and Arts as well as his
noted patriotism. His credentials did not save him from the
authorities.
Pepito Jose Pitombayag Jr, spokesperson for NHI Anthem
Investigation Unit explained the situation. I dont even know
why people bother to changing something thats been the same
for the last hundred years. They know we have laws against it.
They know we punish violators. Yet they still try and end up
just hurting themselves, their loved ones, and their ancestors
honor. It doesnt matter who you are. If you try to mess with
the National Anthem, you called down the thunder, you reap
the whirlwind.
As expected, the organizers of TEDxDiliman along with other
organizations in UP that seem to never have anything else
going on except rallies and communist parties are planning to
mount, well, protests, in Intramuros to request Ayalas early
release. Not that protests ever change anything.
Activist leader Mon Jose of student org confederation KAPITSIBAK-AGAD says This is outrageous. Here we have an
innocent man who did nothing but try to make Lupang
Hinirang sound like something a human would actually enjoy
listening to, and the we arrested him. Meanwhile, Daniel

Padilla is being given more airtime than most national issues

and nobody seems to care. What are we waiting for? A second
concert? Also, PNOY RESIGN! TUTA NG KANO!
The National Anthem Law, which explicitly forbids the
changing of the tune, lyrics, and rhythm of the National
Anthem, was first passed by the legislation back when the
only forms of entertainment entertainment people had was
anthem singing, Palo Sebo and rebelling against the Spanish
Government. The normally toothless NHI was given full
powers to enforce the law later on by the Magsaysay
administration. The law was then later relaxed during the
Marcos years by adding exempting provisions for people who
are genetically horrible at singing and people with poor lyric
memory and who have never been to gradeschool.
Joey Ayala is the next big celebrity to come under fire for
breaking this law after pop singer, songwriter, and failed talk
showhost Martin Nievera. Nievera sang a different tune of
Lupang Hinirang last May 2009 during Manny Pacquiaos
fight against Ricky Hatton and was given non-incarcerating
punishments stipulated in a special clause of the Penal code
relating to the Anthem Law.

Sundaland (also called the Sundaic region) is

a biogeographical region of Southeastern Asia which
encompasses the Sunda shelf, the part of the Asian continental
shelf that was exposed during the last glacial period of
the Pleistocene, from approximately 110,000 to 12,000 years
ago. It includes the Malay Peninsula Malaysia on the Asian
mainland, as well as the large islands of Borneo, Java,
and Sumatra and their surrounding islands.
The eastern boundary of Sundaland is the Wallace Line,
identified by Alfred Russel Wallace as the eastern boundary of
the range of Asia's land mammal fauna, and thus the boundary
of the Indomalaya and Australasia ecozones. The islands east
of the Wallace line are known as Wallacea, and are considered
part of Australasia.

Are Filipinos Asian?

The Philippines is part of South-east Asia geographically. But
many Filipinos feel a closer attachment to the West
Are Filipinos Asians or Pacific Islanders? Is the Philippines
part of South-east Asia, Oceania or the Pacific Islands?
Officially, of course, Filipinos are categorized as Asians and
the Philippines as part of South-east Asia. But describing
Filipinos as Pacific Islanders isnt necessarily wrong either. In
fact, for a long time, Filipinos were known as Pacific
Islanders.
The Philippines used to be called the Philippine Islands of the
Pacific, and when the Americans first arrived more than a
century ago, they described the Philippine Islands as orphans
of the Pacific.
They might well have been referring to the geographical
distance of the country from mainland Asia. Composed of
more than 7000 islands, the Philippine archipelagic state was a
political creation of Western colonizers. It was Spain during
the 16th century that united the major islands of the
Philippinesif it hadnt occupied the islands, the Philippine
nation state wouldnt have existed.
What would have happened if the country hadnt been united?
Luzon, the largest island in the north of the Philippines, could
have become a territory of China or Taiwan, while Mindanao
in the south could have become a province of Malaysia or
Indonesia. The formation of a bigger nation state composed of
the Philippine Islands, Taiwan and parts of Malaysia and
Indonesia could have been another possibility.
Philippine society evolved differently from other Asian
nations. For example, the Philippines (aside from Timor Leste)
is the only Christian-dominated nation in Asia. The blending
of Western and native cultures created a unique society thats
neither Western nor Asian.
Many Filipinos are unsure about their identity and although
they believe theyre Asians, many also feel closer to the West,
especially the United States. Indeed, they seem to be prouder
of their Western upbringing than their Asian identity. This
colonial mentality has been identified as one of the negative
traits of many Filipinos.
South-east Asia is defined as a purely geographical concept in
the Philippines and Filipinos often dont appreciate nor
understand the cultural and religious practices of their
neighbours. Theyre also unaware of Indochina politics.
The Philippines was used as a launch pad by the United States
during the Vietnam War. But while panic swept the rest of the
region when Cambodia and Thailand almost went to war over
a border dispute, the Philippines didnt express any sense of
alarm over the situation.
To Filipinos, their place in South-east Asia is just an accident
of geography. This is unfortunate, because the Philippines
detachment from mainland South-east Asia could have been
maximized to exert political leadership in the region. By not
being involved with the numerous squabbles in Indochina, the
Philippines could have played the role of objective arbiter in
the various regional conflicts and disagreements.
But Filipinos seem to be more interested in political events in
the West. Instead of ignoring their neighbours, Filipinos
should embrace their connection with South-east Asia.

PASTA IS NOT ORIGINALLY FROM ITALY

June 3, 2011 Julia Comments
Myth: Pasta originally comes from Italy.
Worldwide, pasta has become synonymous with Italian
cuisine. Italian immigrants themselves brought pasta
everywhere they went. While it is true that the most famous
varieties and recipes of cooking pasta really do come from
Italy, surprisingly, the actual origin of pasta lies elsewhere!
So how did pasta make its way to Italy? One of the more
popular theories was published in the Macaroni Journal by
the Association of Food Industries. It states that pasta was
brought to Italy by Marco Polo via China. Polo ventured to
China in the time of the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368) and the
Chinese had been consuming noodles as early as 3000 B.C. in
the Qinghai province. There is even some evidence there of
4,000-year-old noodles made from foxtail and broomcorn
millet.
Unfortunately, there are problems with this theory, least of
which is that the noodles they were making in China arent
technically considered pasta. Polo also described Chinese
noodles as being like lagana, which implies he was possibly
already familiar with a pasta-like food before going to China.
Further, in 1279, there was a Genoese soldier that listed in the
inventory of his estate a basket of dried pasta. Polo didnt
come back from China until 1295. For those who dont know,
Genoa is a sea port in Italy. Further, the modern pasta like we
know it was first described in 1154 by an Arab geographer,
Idrisi, as being common in Sicily. So Marco Polo could not
have brought pasta to Italy via China. It was already in Italy at
that time

11 COUNTRIES WHICH STILL EAT DOG MEAT

October 18, 2012 at 11:40pm
Eleven countries around the globe still eat dog meat. They are:
China, Indonesia, Korea, Mexico, Philippines, Polynesia,
Taiwan, Vietnam, the Arctic and Antarctic and two cantons in
Switzerland.
China: Although the Chinese were the first to domesticate the
dog and keep them as pets, dog meat has been a source of food
from at least the time of Confucius, and possibly even before.
Indonesia: Eating dog meat is usually associated with people
from the Batak Toba culture, who cook a traditional dish
named saksang that is like a dog-meat stew.
Mexico: Dogs were historically bred for their meat by the
Aztecs. These dogs were called itzcuintlis, and were often
pictured on pre-Columbian Mexican pottery.
Philippines: In the capital city of Manila,the law specifically
prohibits the killing and selling of dogs for food except in
certain circumstances including research and animal
population control.
Polynesia: Dogs were historically eaten in Tahiti and other
islands of Polynesia at the time of first European contact in
1769.

Taiwan: Dog meat in Taiwan is particularly eaten in the winter

months, especially black dogs, which are believed to help
retain body warmth.
Korea: Gaegogi literally means 'dog meat' in Korean. Gaegogi,
however, is often mistaken as the term for Korean soup made
from dog meat, bosintang. The distaste felt by dog lovers,
particularly from the West, has made this dish very
controversial.
Switzerland: According to a Swiss newspaper report in 1996,
the Swiss rural cantons of Appenzell and St. Gallen are known
to have had a tradition of eating dogs, curing dog meat into
jerky and sausages, as well as using the lard for medicinal
purposes.
Vietnam: Dog meat is eaten throughout Vietnam. To many
Northerners, it is a popular, if relatively expensive, dinnertime
restaurant meal.
Arctic and Antarctic: Dogs have historically been an
emergency food source for various peoples in Siberia, Alaska,
northern Canada, and Greenland. Sled dogs are usually
maintained for pulling sleds, but occasionally are eaten when
no other food is available.

A couple of months back, being passed

round various Facebook walls of Filipino
friends of mine, was a short story on
some European cookies going by the
name of Filipinos. The question was
posed regarding the appropriateness of
calling a snack food by the name of a
nations peoples. None of my friends
were personally offended by the notion
but reading into the history of these
cookies did amaze me somewhat.

the European Commission, and then

manufacturer Nabisco Iberia.
Now lets look into these snacks a little
more. The Philippine National Historical
Institute has stated that they believe the
history of these round cookies with a hole
in the centre is linked to the Rosquillo,
a traditional snack made
in Iloilo and Negros. There are other
claims they originated in the Liloan area
of Cebu, where they have an
annual Rosquillo Festival, however since
the National Historic Institute has them
coming from Iloilo and Negros, Ill run
with that. The twist to the commercially
produced variety is that they are dipped
in chocolate. And herein lies the apparent
controversy, some say, that by calling
these cookies Filipinos there is an
analogy to Filipinos being dark on the
outside, yet striving to be more white
on the inside These kind of food
analogies are not new. In the 1990s
British born Jamaican Reggae
Deejay Macka B sang about black
Jamaican Yuppies in the UK being nothing
more than a Chocolate Bounty, black on
the outside but white they want to be.

Filipinos Biscuits as sold in Spain and

Portugal
It seems back in 1999 then Philippine
Congressman Heherson Alvarez, claimed
that the name of the cookie was
offensive due to the apparent reference
to their colour, "dark outside and white
inside". His resolution stated "These food
items could be appropriately called by
any other label, but the manufacturers
have chosen our racial identity, and they
are now making money out of these food
items." On August 26, 1999 then
Philippine president Joseph Estrada called
the brand "an insult". So the government
of the Philippines filed a diplomatic
protest with the government of Spain,

Macka B once sang Black on the outside

but white you want to be, just like a
chocolate Bounty
But surely we are taking this too
seriously. It would appear to me to be
more a tribute, a sign of respect more
than anything else. Even Market Man,
writer of highly recommended Filipino
food blog Market Manila touched on this
subject back in June 2006, and although
he did state I still dont know whether to

be offended or bemused he did seem to

take it a bit lighter than the government
of 1999. Worth noting that the then
foreign Secretary Domingo Siazon was
rather reluctant to be involved. Siazon
had reportedly said "he saw nothing
wrong with the use of 'Filipinos' as a
brand name, noting Austrians do not
complain that small sausages are called
'Vienna sausages.' Exactly! Do citizens of
Berlin get upset that they gave the name
to the Berliner pastry? What about the
Danish and the Danish Pastry? Or Cubans
becoming the generic name for all cigars
from that country? Would someone like
the Philippines national hero, the
great Jose Rizal if he were alive today
seriously be offended by a biscuit named
after his people?

own global network it didnt take long to

track down someone in Europe to rapidly
dispatch some Filipinos over to me (and
big thanks to those involved in sending
those cookies my way). Well they are ok,
they are as good as a factory made
chocolate dipped biscuit can be, but I
dont think they are worth getting into
international disputes over.

Filipinos, fresh off the boat

Histori
cally rooted to the Rosquillo, but dipped
in chocolate
Phili
ppines National Hero Jose Rizal (pic from
Wikipedia)
So what do they taste like, that is the
question? One of the things I love about
the modern globalised world we live in is
that national boundaries are mere lines
on a map with tools such as the mighty
internet at our disposal. Tapping into my

As I write this, nations in North Africa and

the Middle East are in the middle of
major peoples revolutions against their
tyrannical governments. Some
like Libya have delivered bloodshed, and
others like Egypt have shown the world
the power of non violent people power.
These current ongoing revolutions have
been dubbed the Facebook or Twitter
Revolutions, with their messages driven

by the power of the internet and social

media. We should take this time to
remember, in a time long before social
media, that one of the great people
power revolutions, peaceful non-violent
uprisings, originated in the Philippines.
February 25th 2011 marks the 25th
Anniversary of the Peoples Power
Revolution in the Philippines that toppled
President Marcos in 1986. Ordinary
everyday people braved facing Marcos
tanks and artillery, bringing food and
drinks to support troops that deserted
the government to support the
revolution. The power of the people

facing off against their own people

manning the tanks and guns of the
regime shone through then, just as it did
recently in Egypt. So on the 25th
Anniversary of this remarkable event,
should we worry that a tasty popular
snack takes the name of a nations
people? A nations people who have
regularly shown their strength and
resilience, through such events as the
People Power Revolution, the inspiration
that is still liberating peoples of the world
today.