Work at Home Mom: Yes, Filipinas Are Sexy!

I owe the fun post below to an unfortunate incident that befell my blog friend, Sexy Mom. Imagine a fanatic accusing her of being a disgrace to Filipina women because of her moniker? Of course, Sexy Mom's readers wouldn't have any of it and have said so in no uncertain terms.

Dine, two positive things came out of that nasty comment sent to you. I guess "decent" mother's intentions backfired on her!

On a purely personal angle, I was able to discover MrsPartyGirl's site from her comment on your post. I liked her comment:

"i am a filipina, i am decent (ask my husband), but i want to be sexy, too! why should 'decentmother' want to take that away from me just because she has some moral/semantic dilemma?"

I teased her:

"Be careful MrsPartyGirl! Some “decent” people may think that its disgraceful for moms to call themselves party girls, and even more scandalous to want to be sexy! ;D

"Hey, I want to be sexy, too! Let’s call ourselves Dine’s Gang of Sexy Mommas!"

She gamely replied:

"hey manila mom, i hear ya! :) actually, when i google my nick, i’m directed to sites of either promiscuous married women with their equally promiscuous gardeners or college girls who have more than just their studies on their mind. :P so sexymom, you are not alone hehe."

I visited MrsPartyGirl's site and got myself tagged (volunteered, actually) for the meme below.

On a more serious note, I also followed Angelic Mom home from her comment to your post. I have been a regular reader of her blog since I started blogging. I agreed with her call to reshape the Filipina woman's image online. And so, my post at Cafe Romanza: Sexy Filipinas - Including Sexy Filipina Moms - Stand Up and Be Counted!

Yes, Filipinas are sexy! As I said in my post: Let the world know that Filipinas are, indeed, sexy and that being sexy does not necessarily have anything to do with sordid commercial sex.

Filipinas are sexy because we are strong, intelligent, capable, forward-thinking, courageous, confident, dignified, sincere, caring and loving. We know ourselves and are comfortable with ourselves.

So, are you a sexy Filipina, too?

These blog posts are about the sexy Filipina:

Sexy Filipinas - Including Sexy Filipina Moms - Stand Up and Be Counted!

A Closure, A New Beginning–Reshaping the Online and Sexy Filipina ...

Posting a comment is not enough…Blog about it!

Let's bring sexy and Filipina back

Filipina2007

The attack on Sexy Mom: False feminism, if there is such a thing (as feminism)

What Filipina Should Mean Online

My Sexy Mom

Who's Afraid of the Sexy Filipina?

Campaign Redefines the Sexy Filipina

I Am A Sexy Filipina Mom

The Online Journal of a Sexy Filipina

Looking For Sexy Filipinas?

The Filipina Bride Overseas - Not Necessarily A Mail Order Bride

Work at Home Mom: Life in the Philippines: Let's Eat and Be Merry!

On a more upbeat note...

I got this Masayang Survey (Fun Survey) from a blog I just discovered, Confessions of a Domesticated Party Girl by fellow Filipina blogger Mom, MrsPartyGirl.

I will be translating the Qs & As since visitors come from all over.

Ano ang iyong almusal kanina? (What did you have for breakfast today?)

A mug of Milo with CMD Mineral Drops, my health supplement. I very rarely take a full breakfast as it makes me feel sluggish. I don't get hungry until several hours after waking. Nope, this isn't a diet. I actually eat A LOT at lunch and EVEN MORE at dinner, which is not a very good thing. It's supposed to be the other way around - more in the morning and very little at night. Oh well...

Ikaw ay may itlog — nilagang itlog. Paano mo ito kakainin? (You have a hardboiled egg. How will you eat it?)

Like MsPartyGirl, I like eating hardboiled eggs with patis and rice. Patis is salty fermented fish sauce, Filipino style. Other Asian neighbors also have this, most notably Thailand. Practically anything with patis becomes so good with rice. Yum! Yes, I know...watch the sodium! And watch the rice! Too much starchy carbo!

Ano ang paborito mong local na junkfood? (What's your favorite local - meaning Filipino- junkfood?)

Argh! There are so many! Cheese-flavored Clover chips, Spicy Granny Goose Tortilla chips, Lala Fish crackers, Boy Bawang, Spicy Shing-a-ling, Cloud Nine, Piattos Sour Cream and Onion...okay I should stop now. I'm starting to crave them again and I just made a pinky swear with my kids to not have softdrinks and junkfood. I need a crunchy, salty, spicy fix! Is popcorn junkfood? Homemade? Airpopped? Pleeeeeese?

Ikaw ay kinuhang TOP CHEF sa isang engrandeng pagtitipon. Ano ang iyong ihahain sa mga bisita? (Note: Ang mga pagkain na ihahain mo ay ang mga alam mong lutuin. Bawal magsinungaling) (You have been made Top Chef for a grand affair. What will you serve? Note: You can only serve what you know how to make yourself. No lying.)

I must confess, I don't cook at home. Well, sometimes for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve Noche Buena since our helpers are off to their families then. We more often opt to just order food, though, which is so un-Filipino. Nothing fancy - usually grilled bangus (milkfish) from Pixie's, lechon manok (roasted chicken) from Baliwag, skewered pork barbecue and grilled squid from Grill Queen, lumpiang ubod (spring rolls stuffed with - i don't know how this is called but it's the core of the coconut tree's trunk) from Aling Lita.

Traditionally, Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve dinner and midnight treats are supposed to showcase specialties of the mother of the house. My poor family...

Having said that, I can whip up something when there is no other recourse. I am allowed to have lots of assistants to do the chopping and cleaning up, right? Then it would be:

-Mediterranean fresh and grilled vegetable salad (fresh lettuce, carrots, cucumber, tomatoes and grilled eggplant, bellpeppers and portobello mushrooms) with green and black olives and a dressing of extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper;

- Oriental Sashimi a la Gerry's Grill, our version. Fresh tuna drizzled just before serving with a dressing of Kikoman soy sauce and sesame oil, on a bed of lettuce and topped with finely chopped green onions.

- Corn Soup Visayan Style (similar to MsPartyGirl's Suam Mais but without the chicken and with lots of malunggay leaves instead of sili tops;

- Halabos na Sugpo (Stir fried Prawns) in Star Margarine and lots of garlic;

- Pork chops or pork ribs "Pinatuyo" (simmered till all the liquid evaporates and the pork renders fat in which it is allowed to fry to brown a little) in water, salt and lots of garlic. Don't ask me the measurements. I just do it by "tantya" (estimate). A spicy vinegar dip on the side.

- Plain rice

- Mango refrigerator cake - the one in the TV commercial with layers of crushed graham crackers and lots of sweet ripe mango slices mixed with cream and condensed milk. I would add crushed cashew nuts to the crushed graham crackers.

A hodgepodge with no theme nor unifying element, I know. That's why I'm not a cook.

But now I think I'm in trouble next Christmas Eve!

Kung ikaw ay makakain sa restaurant ngayon din, saang restaurant ka pupunta at bakit? (If you can go to a restaurant right now, which would you choose and why?)

Tough one. There are so many we like and too few really special occasions when we can rationalize the expense. If we have some extra to splurge on an expensive family dinner we often choose Dad's Ultimate Buffet, though. Sulit! (Worth the price!) Oh, the Japanese buffet with unlimited sashimi, sushi and prawn tempura plus the Filipino buffet with crispy-skinned lechon de leche/roasted suckling pig plus the Continental buffet's dessert bar. You see how we love to pig out? It's tough to find something to wear that's all dressy and yet has enough room in the tummy area to really enjoy the night. :D

Tip: Don't drink too much iced tea or any beverage for that matter so as not to use upall your tummy space. Okay, I'm exposing my katakawan too much already. No,I'm not going to translate katakawan. You already get the picture.

Saang restaurant mo gustong makapunta, pero di ka lang nakakarating pa? (What restaurant would you want to visit, which you haven't been to yet?)

We've been hearing about the buffet at Spiral, at the Hotel Philippine Plaza. Recognize that word again? Buffet! So Pinoy!

May pizza sa harap mo. Ano ang ayaw mong makitang topping sa pizza mo? (There's a pizza in front of you. What don't you want to see on your pizza?)

Pineapple! But I love anchovies, olives and garlic on my pizza. Definitely not for a romantic night :D

Ano ang madalas mong orderin sa Jollibee? (What do you often order at Jollibee?)

Two-piece Chickenjoy with rice, Coke Light (okay, no more softdrinks from now on), Chocolate sundae.

Paano magluto ng Sinigang? Marunong ka ba? (How does one cook Sinigang? Do you know how?)

Again, I'm not the one making this at home. But from the style handed down by my Mom and Dad (my Dad loves cooking), the pork cubes and gabi cubes (taro) are first sauteed in a little oil and garlic with patis. Unfortunately, my eldest daughter is allergic to patis so we use rock salt instead. After the pork has absorbed the flavors, add water or, preferably, hugas-bigas (water in which the rice has been washed). Let boil till meat and gabi are tender. Add vegetables. We like a mix of kangkong (swamp cabbage), lots of okra -my favorite, sitaw (stringbeans) or sigarillas (wingbeans), eggplant, whole or halved red onions and long green chili peppers.

OH! I forgot the most important part. The sourness! We like using calamansi juice. Lots of it. As in a kilo or more of freshly squeezed calamansi juice added just after the fire has been turned off. This isn't even enough sourness for my youngest daughter. She adds about a half cup more of calamansi juice to her big bowl of sinigang!

When I eat this with rice I crush the green chili peppers in my patis dip. Then I crush the taro cubes to make my soup thick.

We also love Sinigang na Bangus sa Miso at Mustasa (Milkfish Sinigang With Miso and Mustard Greens) but I am totally clueless at preparing that. Our helper is the expert.

Ikaw ay may fried chicken sa harap mo. Ano ang dapat niyang kapartner para masarap ang kain? (You have fried chicken before you. What would be its perfect pair?)

That depends on what kind of fried chicken it is. If from Max's, it needs the original banana ketchup. If from KFC, the KFC gravy. If from Jollibee or McDonalds, I don't use gravy. At home, tomato ketchup mixed with Worcestershire sauce.

Kumakain ka ba ng dinuguan? Alam mo ba kung saan ito gawa? (Do you eat Dinuguan? Do you know what it's made of?)

I love dinuguan! Preferably sour and spicy and thick with lots of rice!

Yes, I know what it's made of. It's blood stew (am not sure if pork or beef, though) with meat and innards. For non-Filipinos: it's black, not red.

I'm starting to get hungry already.

So if you're Pinoy/Pinay by blood or affinity or appetite, you're tagged!

Now where can I get Dinuguan? Or maybe call for Jollibee Chickenjoy delivery? Hmmm...

Work at Home Mom: I Am Bowing Out Of the Top 100 Philippine Blogs

I have been very openly enthusiastic about having climbed the ranks at Ratified.org's Top 100 Philippine Blogs. I am, however, bowing out of it today out of delicadeza. I believe it is not proper for me to consider myself part of the ranking when the owner of the list himself deems me "not legit."

In one ofmy other blogs, I received a comment from Andrew dela Serna of Alleba.com, saying "It would have been more legit if you didn't join those link trains."

This led me to his post where he calls participation in link trains such as the Alexa Train, Technorati Train and Viral Tags as "spamming." Here is his post en toto:

"From my experience of running a web directory and blog directory, I’ve come across dozens of blogs that join these so-called link “trains” to increase their Alexa and Technorati rankings. Some are also in the illusion that it will increase their Google PageRank. At Ratified.org, I know for a fact that a bulk of those in the top 20 participate in such schemes. Had I excluded them, Bryan Boy would easily be #1. What happened to that plan anyway? Well, I decided to shelve it for now.

"Anyway, let me say that I find these things extremely self-serving and useless. The only person who directly benefits from this is the originator of the scheme. Imagine this: if I were to start something similar, all I need is to make it sound like a valiant effort and coax a few believers to join in. Then it becomes viral because, who doesn’t want links? Every struggling blogger would jump at any chance to get links, right? That’s why it’s so easy to ask them to join. In the end, the originator gets all the link love while the rest are placed in a link farm.

"Speaking of link farms, I cannot support the theory that “riding a train” increases PageRank. Link farms or free-for-all links (FFA’s) are an artificial way of linking. These “trains” aren’t any different. As we all know, for every link on a page, a little bit of its PageRank is passed on. Just imagine a low-PR page with hundreds of links on it. Basically the amount of PageRank granted is next to nil. Even if we consider the multiplier effect knowing that many other blogs will display the same links, they still won’t add up enough to make a real dent on PageRank. Also, the question of relevance comes to mind. I have a blog on cooking and I link to another blog about Hydraulics and to another on Yoyoing. Certainly those links will be considered spam by Google. But probably not in the case of linking only to those two sites. But if you link to a hundred more irrelevant blogs and those blogs contain the same exact links, that’s a totally different story. It’s called spamming.

"I hope all the new blood in the blogosphere would concentrate more on developing good, original content, rather than spending hours and hours on shady link exchanges. It’s definitely a virus, the kind that should be cured ASAP."

He has a right to his opinion but I disagree with him.

I don't believe it is spamming since these trains are not imposed on anyone. Participation is purely voluntary.

I also do not believe that participation in link trains automatically means one does not write original and relevant content in one's blog, not unless all your posts consist only of such trains.

Although I do not know enough about the technicalities of page rank computation, it's okay by me if my participation in these trains do not result in a higher page rank. Having become part of networks that I intend to explore further is good enough for me.

Any person or organization that puts up lists has the right to determine what qualifies one to be in that list. I therefore bow out of Ratified.org's list.

I only hope that bloggers who in good faith join link trains to jumpstart networking not be stigmatized as illegitimate, shady and irrelevant.

Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: The MyBlogLog Community Exchange Will Bring In More Traffic

I got this meme from Garry Conn who always gives excellent blogging tips. He created the MyBlogLog Community Exchange himself.

I have been a member of MyBlogLog almost from the start of my blogging days. I know for a fact that it's a very powerful network. In fact, my Manila Mom MBL member page has a PR5 with 151 family, friends and contacts as of this writing. The Manila Mom community has 105 members as of this writing.

Still, there is always room to grow. I know that there are more blogs to network with at MyBlogLog, and this Exchange is one way to do that.

Host this MyBlogLog Community Exchange and bring in more readers and backlinks. Most important, visit the blogs of the communities you have joined and participate in the discussions through comments.

These are the rules:



1. Join all of the MyBlogLog communities on the list below.

2. Copy the list and paste in on a new post on your blog.

3. Write a brief paragraph above the list to explain the game.

4. Add 2 or 3 more MyBlogLog communities to the list and publish the post.

5. To be added to this list, leave a comment below, including the url of your post.

The MyBlogLog Community Exchange List:


Successful Blogging Tips Join MyBlogLog
Make Money Online Join MyBlogLog
Kyle’s Cove dot Com Join MyBlogLog
GoldCoaster Join MyBlogLog
Affiliate Programs Join MyBlogLog
The Junky’s Wife Join MyBlogLog
GoldyWorld Join MyBlogLog
BetShopBoy Join MyBlogLog
IndiaPRBlog Join MyBlogLog
ShanKri-la Join MyBlogLog
HomeMom3 Join MyBlogLog
Ryan Shamus Join MyBlogLog
Kassper Join MyBlogLog
Punto Fape Join MyBlogLog
Earn Money on the Web Join MyBlogLog
Making Money Through Internet Join MyBlogLog
Chronic Headache, Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Join MyBlogLog
Free Stuff Join MyBlogLog
House Hunting Join MyBlogLog
Hot Buzz Join MyBlogLog
Earn Online Join MyBlogLog
Ageless Beauty Join MyBlogLog
Philippine Trip Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Author Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Family Join MyBlogLog
Filipino Community Join MyBlogLog
Manila Mom Join MyBlogLog
Pinoy Network Join MyBloglog
Blog Corner JoinMybloglog
SFtopics Join MyBlogLog
AnitoKid JoinMyBlogLog
Up the Hill Gang Join MyBlogLog
Who Let the Dog Out Join MyBlogLog

Come on! Join the fun!

Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: I Have Just Downloaded My AGLOCO Viewbar

Several months after I joined, I have finally downloaded my AGLOCO bar.

I actually received the notice that I was eligible to download it a few weeks back. When I tried to do so then, however, I encountered a lot of glitches. The AGLOCO blog showed me that I was not alone. The sheer number of people trying to download the bar seems to have overwhelmed the system. I decided not to push my luck.

I received another email last week telling me they have done something about the problem. Alternate sites are now available to absorb the traffic. You can choose what country you want to download from.

True enough, downloading from the Philippine site was smooth and quick. No problems encountered.

I'm sure most of you already know about AGLOCO. If you do, you might want to stop reading here :D

For those who haven't, AGLOCO stands for A Global Community. You join for free and will be able to download the AGLOCO Viewbar. You only have to do your usual web surfing with the viewbar on your desktop for 5 hours a month. In return, you will receive your share of the entire income AGLOCO receives from advertising and sales referrals. In effect, AGLOCO's income will be divided among all its member-users.

The viewbar download may not be immediate as it's on a first-come-first-served basis, but you are immediately qualified to refer people to the program.

You can increase your earnings through the referral program because you will be getting a percentage of their earnings for as long as they use the viewbar, too. And this does not affect what they themselves will earn. In fact, they can also refer people under their name and you still gain from their first level of referrals.

John Chow is an active proponent of AGLOCO and has had thousands signing up under his name. If such a successful blogger is on to this, then I think it's worth our attention.

So why not give it a try?

Trying to Earn Global Online from the Philippines: Gain Even More Links With Viral-Icons

Now this is something I could never have done by myself. My friend, AnitoKid, already alerted me to Viral-Icons a week ago but I just couldn't make it work even as I tried to copy and paste the matrix to my post.

To my surprise, AnitoKid went as far as making me an icon, putting it in the matrix, and then sending me an email with the entire html of the post. The result: glitch-free posting of the Viral-Icons! Wow!

Now you know why I'm raving about the AnitoKid Chronikos - Billiards and Philippine Sports blog in my review below (please scroll down after this post). The blogger behind the blog is one very kind and helpful man, indeed! (Yes, he was also the one who alerted me to ViralTags.)

Host Icon:

Rules:

• No Porn Sites
• Only 1 icon per person (i.e. don’t hog the ViralIcons!)
• Please don’t tamper with other people’s ALT tags, URLs or favicons.

Important:

Once I get a ping back from you (I promise to do the best I can), I will add your favicon and the associated code you designate as “Host Icon” here, replacing one of the “Viral Icons” from the matrix above. As more and more bloggers copy and paste this matrix, the more backlinks you will have with your ALT text. If everybody who copy and paste from your blog does the same, pretty soon this will spread and go viral. So, the sooner you participate, the more links with anchor keywords you will receive.

———Copy and paste the VIRAL-ICONS and instructions above this line———

Isn't this neat? So come on and host the Viral-Icons. Let's see how far this one takes us this time.

IMPORTANT: As I said before, I'm quite at a loss with the technicals here, so please send me the actual and complete html for your icon to be pasted into the matrix.

Before you go, though, please scroll down and read my review of AnitoKid Chronikos - Billiards and Philippine Sports. Even if you're not particularly into billiards I guarantee you'll find something of interest there.