Craving for WEIRD TASTE?

Beneath is a list of some weird food combinations I have triumphantly tried out.

1. Boiled bananas dipped in anchovy sauce;

2. Green mangoes soaked in sugar and soy sauce;

3. Peanut butter or condensed milk on a ripe lakatan (a variety of banana);

4. Lakatan slotted in with barbecue-flavored chips;

5. Lakatan or tundan (another variety of banana) dipped in good old tomato ketchup;

6. Cooked rice sprinkled with freshly grated coconut meat and Milo or white sugar;

7. Fish paksiw-flavored eggplant sandwich; and

8. Sugar-coated fried banana along with sautéed corned beef.

Which do you think is the weirdest? Which one have you already tasted? Which one has earned your preference? I want to know...

Do you like your name?

As a youngster, I remember secretly feeling awkward about my first name. I was, after all, from a generation that predominantly thought Christine, Jeanette, Sheila and other pleasant-sounding names were trendy. I felt that my name just emanated too much of the “mature and stiff” impression that I did not fancy (and found advantageous) then as a young individual.

There had also been occasions when I felt uncomfortable being associated with my namesake, the renowned Filipino artist Ms. Armida Siguion-Reyna. In college, I had to constantly remind new acquaintances that I was not as serious and as tough (no offense meant to the respected Ms. Siguion-Reyna) as my name seemed to portray.

This conjured up austere image was heightened even more when I got myself employed in a center advocating reproductive health and rights. One friend then began branding me a “feminist” and boldly declaring my name suitable to my job! Of course, I considered the classification a compliment. However, I could not also honestly hide my worry then that my name had somehow created a stern image threatening potential boyfriends at that time!

Even if it is a bit of a let down that my name is not even listed in any dictionary of first names, I have never really considered changing it.

I did however toy before with the idea of adding a second name so I can be Armida Maria! I think, the name “Maria” will be able to neutralize the tough image that my original name conveys. Plus, I have always liked how the combination sounds. Don’t you agree?

CNN Hologram?

Has anyone seen the CNN coverage of the recent US Presidential Election? If you were glued to the said TV station, then you must have witnessed CNN reveal the latest technology it has embraced to delight viewers (and astound competitors).

Jessica Yellin, a CNN correspondent covering the US Election in Chicago was remarkably “beamed up” to the CNN Election Center in New York! Enabling this was the amazing holographic technology adopted by said station at such a timely occasion—in consonance with the historic 2008 US Presidential Election. The technology allowed Ms. Yellin to directly deliver the news as if she was physically with Wolf Blitzer who was then anchoring the news in New York.

Ms. Yellin briefly explained the mechanics—how she was actually situated inside a tent packed with cameras focusing on her from various positions. The different angles taken created and transmitted a life-like image of her to the CNN Election Center.

Impressive! The hologram was so Star Wars-like. Who knows we might already be looking at the ultimate forerunner of what will revolutionize and launch news reporting to a uniquely different and much advanced level.

It was briefly mentioned that said technology will have the ease of clearly conveying news from locations where intense noise tremendously hampers news delivery (such as in public assemblies or rallies).

What say you Calvin and Hobbes? Stand aside transmogrifier? This is more appealing!!!?