Creepy lullaby song

   My sister, Elena, were searching across the web when she remember the song Ili ili tulog anay, a Visayan lullaby song. I never heard this song played with instruments, I just heard of this song from my mother or from my music teacher when I was in high school. It sounds creepy for a lullaby, but I really love this song (sounds creepy or it's just me?).

 Ili ili tulog anay

Ili-ili tulog anay,

Wala diri imo nanay.

Kadto tienda bakal papay.

Ili-ili tulog anay.

—English translation—

Sleep for a while.

Your mother is not here.

Went to the market to buy bread.

Sleep for a while.

-Lyrics taken from The Absentee Negrense

    I grabbed an instrumental version of ili ili tulog anay at Mp3skull. I hope you won't get too much goosebumps while playing this song.

ili_ili_tulog_anay


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   Here the video taken from the film White Lady where the song was featured. Angelica Panganiban and Pauleen Luna, cast of the film, had their own version. Pauleen sung the song much creepier.

Ili ili tulog anay - Angelica Panganiban's version

 Ili ili tulog anay - Pauleen Luna's version

Make life worth living: Give yourself a treat

   Tired, stressed and rushing to make things done-that’s what we are in our daily life that we always forgot to give a reward after a day of heavy and hard working effort for ourselves.

For the ladies. I know how hard it is to wear our favorite stilettos’ or to sit on our office chair or baby 

sitting on our kids while doing household chores the whole day, some happened to do all at the same time, so

Relaxing spa?

why don’t you give yourself a relaxing massage on a spa at the end of the day or after working hours. Aside from its relaxing effect, it also had good benefits to our body and health. How about acupuncture? A cute nail art? New pair of dress or just have a warm, soothing bubble/milk bath? Sounds good right?

For the gentlemen. Most of the men works harder over days and nights to earn money, so, I’ll say: “Tagay!” (‘Tagay’ means ‘cheers’ in Filipino) Small amount of alcohol at least once or twice weeks for leisure is enough, but please drink responsibly. How about a mouth-watering dish cooked by our loving wife? New accessories for your car or a new hardcore video game? Sound nice, right?

    We need to give ourselves a treat even in a simplest way we can, it doesn’t matter if it is big or small, what’s important is that the reward you choose to give to yourself is something that you really need. 

Night art and plants appreciation photography

 
     The weather was fair last night that it brought me to the idea of taking picture of the things around the house that seems to be not appreciated by people when the dark arises (my mom was yelling at me the whole time, she doesn't like me going out of the house because I had a fever**hard-headed**)

     With the use of my low resolution camera phone and a small flashlight, I sneak out to start another crazy idea (why do I call every thing crazy?)

     I started with at my father's workshop. Nothing seems worth taking with my frames aside from this old furnishing machine. It looks creepy when I stroked the light in it. My father's workshop looks creepy at night and I love staying there waiting for a goose bumping experience. Also, I found this antique pan hanging at the back of the workshop. They say it was hanging there for almost 23 years. I dare not to cook with this pan.(Gee! It's a way older than me. How was it hangin'?)

did I saw this on the SAW film?

Dare to cook with this antique pan?

    Then, I proceed to my small garden (I call it 'The side yard'). This is the first time I visited my yard during nighttime. The plants seem so different at night.

Orchid glows in the dark

ferns looks beautiful too

pandan leaves

Wild plant on the wall

red tea plant

just right angle and proper lighting

Creativity strikes: Wood carving and sketching

   I had burned the whole week indoors because of the devastating southwest monsoon. Aside from getting myself busy fixing my garden during my free time under the heavy pouring rain, I summoned my creativity during the nighttime and expanded my artistic skills in sketching.

   It's been months since the last time I touched and peek through my sketch pad.

   Since it was raining and the darkness has already covered my chilling mind I decided to make use of the scrap wood that I found under my bed last week.

My bat tag

     Just as I had expected, it doesn't turn out the way I wanted. Does it look like a bat?

They keep teasing me about this, BATMAN! nanananana!

   Hope so... I want it to be like a bat tag, my nick name carved on it and finish it with some mahogany varnish. I'm planning to do another one and paste it on the head of my drafting table, Yey!

   And yesterday, I finished sketching The Mad Hatter Johnny Depp.

The Mad Hatter Johnny Depp

A sad story: Habagat takes lives

    The past week has been devastating to my countrymen because of the weather, PAG ASA didn't report any typhoon signal, but the rain fall seems like never ending--Terrible! it was like typhoon Ondoy!

    Thank goodness we are living in an elevated area (I was thinking, manila had already sunk in if ever we have reached by the flood.), but some of the people around Bagong Silang, here in Caloocan, who are located near the creeks and rivers have been affected by the heavy rain fall.

An incident happened just near our street during the typhoon that really catches my heart-A mother who risked her life to save her baby, unfortunately their life had been taken by the raging flood.

    "The house of the victims was located near the creek" as my mother told me while she was removing the goods from the shopping bags, that's the first time she had been into the market since Monday due to heavy rainfall. "Some of their neighbor had told them to leave, but they didn't even listen and though they already knew that the house next to their house had been taken by the flood because of the landslide" 

    "Some of the concerned people who saw them carried by the flood together by their house started running to the bridge where the lower part of the river is and rushing to bring down the net to catch the mother and the child over the raging stream." As she sadly continued the story, "Unfortunately the child wasn't with the mother when she was caught. The mother had bruises all over her face, it was awful to see someone in that state. But, it was too late, she was dead and so as her husband and her other two children. They should have listened." 

   It was a sad story. The next day, I heard that the baby the mother was trying to save was found at the river on the town of San Jose, Del Monte. 

    Though the people are still not recovered from the past tragedy, another typhoon had occurred, the typhoon Helen has already entered and currently in the Philippine area of responsibility.

Bayanihan: People unite to help other people

    I hope and pray that this won't be another reason for the people to lose their loved ones.

    As we pray for the people who have been victimized by the flood, let us also pray for the safety of everyone and the kind-hearted people who are always there to help and let the bayanihan always rule in our country.

Goth Curiosity

    I've been into the web for a little while (while for me means a year) browsing for cool stuffs and such when a picture of a lady in a Victorian dress captured my attention. That was a year ago, actually. That's when I first encountered the Goth culture. I don't know why, but was, and still, fascinated by these people. From then, on, I started reading a lot about them and the culture itself.

     I was chilling over the cold weather last night when my curious mind started to do a crazy brainstorming about random questions and suddenly an idea pop-out of nowhere. I had written once about my experience about being a goth to improve myself in Goth enlightenment: The light side of the dark chasers. I know this is crazy, but I want to know I other feel the same way that I felt when I choose to be one.

    I hope there would be someone who landed in my page (aside from those who I sent invitation to answer my freaking idea) by accident and answer my curiosity.

1. What does Goth culture and being a Goth means to you?
2. People mostly believed that the Goth culture is into dark and death, etc. If you have a chance to shout something in their faces about the POSITIVE things that Goth culture had brought to you, what it is and why?
3. What positive and good things does the Goth culture had brought to you that change you as a person?
4. Why did you choose to be a Goth?
5. Does being a Goth is another way of self-expressionism?
6. My parents said: "Goths are cool. But, please stop playing funeral songs." Do you agree in the first sentence?
7. My sister says: "Goths wears cross. But, they're into dark things and such... Do they believe in God?" Do you? 

     I hope I don't offend any from the culture by my questions. And, if by any chance, you spare a time and post an answer, I will send my gratitude in advance.

Let’s party: The Filipino way

     Filipinos, in any age and class of society, loves to party. They celebrate even the smallest achievements and others, especially if they had achieved a big fortune in life, celebrate in couple of days.

    But, how a simple Filipino does celebrate and organizes a party?

The Party House

The majority of Pinoys preferred to do party at home. Aside from being practical of choosing the house as a setting for party, it is an advantage for the group like, for instance, when someone is drunk and no one is able to drive him home or a good reason why parents should say yes to their teenage daughter.

My Mom will be the cook

Another reason why people always want to attend someone’s party is that most of Filipino Moms are terribly good in cooking. They always make sure there won’t be a shortage of food during the party and will satisfy the guests. Well, aside from unlimited good food at the party, mom won’t let you go home without a taking home of their best dishes.

BEERkada, GINuman na!

Don’t expect there would be a martini or champagne that will be served around. Beer and gin are Filipinos all-time favorite alcoholic drinks paired with a chilled glass and a bucket of ice. Aside from its cheap price, it is available in any sari-sari store (sari-sari store is a convenient store that sells goods in retail). 

Oh hail KARAOKE!

A party will never be a party if there is no karaoke machine. Filipino considered themselves as good singers and singing will always complete the Pinoy party. Even if you’re not on the right tune, your friends will still give you a standing ovation.

Make life worth living: Bond with your brother or sister

    When we were young, the first person we called 'best friend', 'best buddy' or 'partner' were our younger or older brothers and sisters. We used to play with them, laugh and cry together, stand as saviour to each other and the best person to share with our secrets. As we grow old, we meet different people, change ways and tend to forget the relationship that the siblings have had before

     How can we maintain a good relationship with our brothers and sisters? How can it make our life worth living?


Know each other's interest
Every sibling has different interests and it is a good thing to know their interest, likes and dislikes-from food to clothes, and even their favorite Avenger character. This is considered an advantage especially in times like giving a special gift or surprise. Actually, in this part, you will know how much closeness does two siblings have.

Take advantage of the common interests
Siblings who grew up together mostly have the same interest (toys, hobbies, etc.). Sisters both likes to watch movies, going to salon, shopping or even fixing nail polish of each other together. Brothers share cars or play video games, go to pubs and bars and have fun with each other. Some siblings in their adulthood period take advantage of their common interests to meet occasionally especially if they are living apart from each other.

Siblings as ultimate friends
Just like our friends, our brothers and/or sisters can be and always be our best friends. We should trust them the way as we trust our friends. But, unlike our friends, they're much sensitive when it comes to our security, which is the advantage of having them on our sides.


     In some cases such as being an only child, they treated friends and cousins as their siblings and some choose to be closer to their parents and set their parents hobbies or work as a bonding time.

     In my own experience as the first born with five siblings, bonding time with them is the most important part of my everyday life. I admit that I don't have an active social life so I had much time to bond with them. Though we always see each other at home, I always love to make group hugs and sometimes, in my age, we still play hide-and-seek together (it's a good thing we own a big house with a wide yard). They're the best friends I could ever had and they're the people that could see the real me. And, most of all, they are the reasons I have a life worth living.

We all love photography. And, we both love posing like a psycho or a victim in a psycho film. We just love the drama.

Make life worth living: Have a book to read

    Reading. Books. Not all people are into reading or has an interest in reading especially now that there are a lot of things around us that easily catches our attention (gadgets, online games, etc.).

    Then why reading? How can it make our life worth living?

    In a website, LifeDev.net, Glen Stansberry stated the eight major benefits of reading:

Photo source: The big five of reading

1. Enhanced Smarts
2. Reading reduces stress
3. Greater tranquility
4. Improved analytical thinking
5. Increased vocabulary
6. Improved memory
7. Improved writing skills
8. Helps prioritize goals

    Also in the website BenefitOf.net also stated some facts about the Benefits of reading.

    Aside from these facts, books aren't just a bunch of papers with ink in it. It is a piece of art, knowledge and experiences by different people.

     But, if you're still not into reading, there will be, one day, a book that will serve as your counterpart.
I found my match when I was in fourth grade. A Filipino literature book were accidentally sent to my home room together with our activity books. It is a book of short stories written by contemporary Filipino writers. And, by the moment I finished reading the book, I realized I was crying. I shed tears for something I don't know why.

     Reading a book is like a journey with a friend, an adventure that doesn't require physical presence, but a mind that can soar higher and able and willing to think of the unimaginable. Admit it, sometimes, you stopped for a moment just to say: "Oh my! What happened?" or "Why?!" or you happened to say bad words when the story turned out the way you didn't expect. It'll make you cry, it can make you laugh. To finish reading a book is like losing a friend.

    Pieces of papers, pages bounded by words, and stories painted by ink, having a book to read is a Thing worth living.

Nilupak

    My mama says, if you want to eat something good and delicious, you have to work and sweat for it. Most of the Kakanin have a lot of preparations and sometimes, it will take the whole day to prepare it. 

Nilupak is a kakanin that is similar to the mashed potato that is paired with the main dish, but it serves as a merienda or paired with hot chocolate or simply coffee in the afternoon.


Ingredients:

• 1 kilo of Cassava 
• 4 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 cup of grated mature coconut
• 1/2 cup of condensed milk
• 1/4 cup of honey
• Margerine for toppings

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Tips:
   You can also add chocolate syrup or jam in this recipe as toppings.
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Procedure: 

1. Boil cassava for 45 minutes
2. After boiling mash the cassava.
3. Then add the honey, condensed milk and coconut. Then, mix.
4. After mixing, you can put and arrange the mixture in a banana leaves which will serve as its plate. You can also use a molder to for a better presentation. 
5. Using a piping bag, pipe the margarine or simply spread it on top on the top of the cassava.