MadManila

C'est ma Vision de Americana

2012-01-04T10:47:00.000-08:00

Optical illusions in Binondo: Spectacles at American Visions

Mandarin Castañas: Get 'em Hot in Quiapo

2011-12-18T01:00:00.000-08:00

Alam mong pasko na sa Maynila, amoy castanas na! Woot! Woot!

Roasted chestnuts going round and round... it's definitely Christmas time!

Just watching the castañas spin around is actually quite hypnotic, I usually buy them in Quiapo at the fruitstand area of the palengke near Villalobos street. And on weekends at the Legaspi Sunday Market.

Madness Manila 2012

2011-12-17T10:36:00.000-08:00

Harapin ang panibagong bukas, panibagong sigla. Naks! Pang-political slogan etetch!

Para kang si Mayor Lim... lagi kang KASADO!

With 2012 approaching in a few days, its about time to do a reboot, MadManila needs a fresh start. Aiiight!

Wall Lord 2010: The Biggest Graffiti Jam in Asia

2010-07-23T21:00:00.000-07:00

The biggest graffiti jam in Asia is happening at the walls of Malugay in SAV Makati. And fuck yeah lotsa beer too! 8 of the top Philippines crew will battle for 1 spot for the Shanghai Finals.

Dance! Dance! Metro Rail Transit

2010-04-20T11:02:00.000-07:00

I'm looking forward to this year's International Dance Day 2010 Celebration. A project helm by Miss Myra Beltran of the Contemporary Dance Network Philippines (CDNP) with the Light Rail Transit Authority. The dance unfolds on April 29, 2010 at the 1PM & 5PM commuter lines- LRT Line2 Purple Line. If you can go, take the metro at these hours.

I'm really excited about this! 26 Dancers + Moving Train! Hell yeah!

Video director: Ruelo Zendo
Artist/Choreographer: Jethro Pioquinto
Editor: Coreen Chan, Ruelo Zendo
Producer: Myra Beltran

My Easter Bus Ride Back to Manila

2010-04-08T07:20:00.000-07:00

So what was my Easter like?

An 8-hour bus trip staring at the annoying faces of trapos (traditional politicians) and wannabees.

So would I vote for them? Fuck yeah! They made me wanna pee at every bus stop which was good for my bladder anyway. Salamat LoRRRd!

Unearthing: Womynist Bones and Sexuality

2010-03-03T07:22:00.000-08:00

Exhibit runs March 1-14, 2010
Location: Philamlife Center for the Arts
Street: United Nations Avenue corner Maria Orosa st

Womynist Bones and Sexuality

Buried under the dark crevices of our time’s hegemonies are yet tender fossils – muted, maimed, and mutilated – muffled in their screaming silence, cocooned within the gravels of subjugated worldings. But not for long…

Ten womyn womynists piece together a fearless, undulated bellowing; an eloquent kind of unearthing, to unravel bones of feminine beauty and pain, to reconstitute their place in time and space, both real and virtual. To unearth is to reveal quieted identities in a more eloquent dimension to which their osseous seeds could be nourished into fertile germs - progenitors, potent and sexual so that the once faint diffusion of voices could reverberate into a piercing chorus, lyric and erotic, vivid and provocative.

Paricipating artists:

AJ Tolentino
Aza Mazon-Camps
Benay Reyes
Ivy Universe Baldoza
Joanna De Leon-Hoffman
Ligaya Domingo
Lydia Cabasco
Maan De Loyola
Rimaq Joaquin Palma
Tif Guevara

Website: http://www.unearthingexhibit.com

Nothing Is Good Enough

2010-03-03T06:14:00.000-08:00

Things I did or put off today so I can blog some more:

1. I told the landlady to STFU (not within earshot though)

2. Over @chatroulette "vous avez un grand ventre" - you have a large belly. It turns out he's only 7 years old.

3. Deciding whether to cook Chachi's Indian Salt Crackers or Pigs in a Blanket for the next gallery talk at Ermita.

4. I felt sorrow in an instant over odd bits of memories.

5. Finally found a hamster ball my pets Pickle and Star can roll around in.

6. Relieved that production work is over. Can now watch Fantastic Mr. Fox for the nth time. So don't point and cuss!

7. Inspected the carrots in the chiller for molds.

8. Sealed my ciabatta tight in foil like a Japanese submarine.

9. Configured emails. Drank more coffee.

10. Thinks moobs are in season. Why do pinoy men like walking around shirtless?

See More of the Philippines: Track Your Journey

2010-02-22T21:40:00.000-08:00

What parts of the country have you visited? How much of it have you seen through the window of a moving bus? Stayed for the night? Or lived in? Wouldn't it be wonderful to set foot on all 7,107 islands?

Hey, this calls for a road trip!

These are the places I've visited in the Philippines.

My Lakbayan grade is C!

How much of the Philippines have you visited? Find out at Lakbayan!

Created by Eugene Villar.

Which has gotten me thinking - I should go up north! No more pushing the Ilocos trip aside. I dream of Batanes too.

Definitely, I must conquer Palawan. Since I've gone and stayed 2 weeks in Sultan Kudarat, then I should visit more of Zamboanga or Lanao or maybe Jolo. But of all the road trips I've been in, the place I felt close to an awakening was this dirt road on a marvelous Sorsogon to Samar route. It was breathtaking. The experience felt very spiritual.

still this is a pretty cool widget!

711 Charging Stations Battle the Case of the Low Batts

2010-02-20T00:46:00.000-08:00

How convenient! Finally somewhere to plug into whenever your cellphone goes low batt.

This is a charging station at a 711 convenience store in Herrera Street, Makati City. Just prepare 5 peso coins!

The charge rates are:
P5 for 10 Minutes Charge time
P10 for 20 minutes
P15 for 30 minutes

You can gorge on ice cream or some 711 goodies while you wait

Manila Underwear is Sexy

2010-02-15T07:49:00.000-08:00

Brip ng Bayan: Popular Pinoy Briefs

Soo gone are the days of YC Bikini Briefs, Brute, Warren and Carter...

These briefs are not even man-thongs. These are ultimate statement briefs for the well-hung pinoy (yeah, oxymoronic I know). These white cotton briefs are most likely made in China and imported in shitloads into Divisoria.

Divisoria is the must-go-to wholesale and retail port in the Philippines. The source for every thing in any shape or size, endless consumables for the mass market.

If you love open markets and can skillfully elbow into large crowds, then shopping around Divisoria, Baclaran and Monumento would be a cinch for you. Great bargains are definitely in store. That is, if you like wearing what everyone else on the streets are wearing. Like illegit, but lovable Manny Pacquaio shirts, sandos and shorts.

Pambansang kasuotan: This Manny Pacquaio shirt simply means you're hardcore, very pinoy and patriotic. The perfect shirt to wear around Manila.

Don't cha just wish they would come up with a pair of Hands-Off Manny Pacquiao Briefs before his next fight?

The New Sosyal Media

2010-02-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

New media and social media jobs are opening doors for the everyman in Manila. The web has definitely gone jologs en masse. So what's does this mean?

Positively, maybe more kids off the streets, less MMORPG time and real opportunities for anyone to actually make money out of a web addiction. You don't need to have programming skills to get social online or be the next spam king or the next Youtube clown. Even our skilled local 'Platero' can send email and do the rounds of stickycam nowadays! lulz!

Here's a translation of the tabloid ad:
Are you a YouTube addict? Always on FB? Chillin @ Twitter? Do you have a crazy idea about New Media? You're the one we're looking for! Earn from your talents! Apply Now!

November 2009 Nursing Board Exam Results Philippines

2010-01-31T07:33:00.000-08:00

The official results released last January 30, 2010
November 2009 Nursing Board Exam Results

My sister made it! Yay!

After seeing her, lose so much weight and go sleep-deprived for days while reviewing for the board exams. Congrats Cookie! You deserve it!

Source: http://www.nursingboardexamresults.info/

The Front Row at Mantrade

2010-01-27T10:09:00.000-08:00

I haven't sat on the front seat of a jeepney in quite a long time. Someone always beats me to it, I guess its every commuter's coveted spot. Still I don't like sitting next to the driver (not because he's sweaty or high in shabs) but most passengers expect you to take their coins and give out the change. Yeah, instant konduktor.

I prefer sitting next to the door, the hazardous spot, the one the snatchers love so they can speed off with your sunglasses or mobile phone. But what I love about the jeepney's front row is the wind on my face and the bedlam that happens to my hair afterwards. But the traffic kinda kills all this anyway and I'm left staring at signs like "You hold the key" and "Kilala mo ba si PotPot?" (Do you know who Potpot is?)

All the jeepneys come to halt by the Don Bosco area, nothing moves forward. It's about this time I start walking home.

Fastfood Smiles

2010-01-15T03:27:00.000-08:00

Hello fat fly, how's the fastfood life?

I hate it when my takeout takes too long

Lokal Relativity: Happy New Year!

2010-01-02T06:37:00.000-08:00

A wormhole materializes along Ayala Avenue Makati sucking every willing being into its core towards a baby universe without Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and her ilk.

A grand gift for everyone this 2010.

The Manila Public Restroom Patron

2009-12-15T21:22:00.000-08:00

In Quiapo under the Carriedo MRT, you'll find a pay per pee public restroom near Scotts Burger that charges P5 per pop, it ain't the ritz, but it's the only clean one in a mile and SM Carriedo CRs don't count! Also bring your own TP!

The most patriotic one is in Intramuros and it does kinda remind you to channel Maria Clara while you whiz.

Ginintuang Kasilyas: Where all the ladies go to do their business

The Shang and Glorietta's classy WCs cost P10, more than you're jeepney fare! It's when your pee weighs more than gold.

The quirky one for me is the public restroom in a monastery in Pampanga which includes instructions to pray while dumping and thanking God after thee flush. Amen.

Masarap ang Regla: Yummy Filipino Bread Rolls

2009-12-14T03:39:00.000-08:00

Masarap ang regla, malinamnam lalo na yung ma-init-init pa at galing sa pugon

It's that time of the month when the craving hits and you want that sweet bloody roll from the neighborhood pinoy bakery called Regla or Pan De Regla or Tinapay Regla. A direct translation would mean 'Menstrual Bread' or "Menstruation Bread Rolls'. It was aptly named because of its bright red filling.

In Waltermart supermarket, they've politely renamed the bread "Pan de Pula" or Red Bread. Hmm... how dare they change the name of the iconic pinoy artisan bread? What's next then the "putok" bread (a type of pandecito or bun) will be renamed Pop or The Bomb? Ewan...

Anyhoo, this sweet red or dark pink roll has a sugary custard in the center and goes well with Sarsi after siesta time.

Christmas in Kamuning

2009-12-10T09:15:00.001-08:00

'Tis Christmas in Kamuning when the Barangay Captain gets the yearly Santa out of storage and into the streets.

Like everything pinoy, anything pricey should remain wrapped in plastic.

Reminds me of my Aunt Cely who still has her sofa wrapped in plastic for the last 15 years. To keep it clean, fresh and dust-free since the day it was bought. Weh!

Ortigas and its Hundred Kitchens

2009-12-04T11:14:00.000-08:00

The idea of hanging out in Ortigas is strange to me. I had lived there for 2 years and it was a complete bore. Things turned a lot different since I left which means once I vas out ze ztarted partying ja. They seem to have crammed every concept resto, bistro, coffee shop, grill at every street corner- so many foodie places! Emerald Avenue used to be a ghost town at 10pm. Now it's just great!

Every minute walking with Yoshke & V was a treasure. We wandered around Ortigas, spending more time walking, than eating in search for the perfect spot (which was supposed to be a Thai resto that closed rather early). My legs were killing me. We ended up at the most accessible place- a beer & grill joint. It was the best we could do considering the Friday night crowd. I was there for the conversation anyway and Yoshke never disappoints.

It was great to see you again Yoshke!

Ang Kung Fu

2009-12-02T01:51:00.000-08:00

Kung saka-sakali...
kung mamarapatin lamang...
Kung pwede lang dinggin
pero Kung ayaw mo, huwag mo!

ATM: Awesome Tubig Machine

2009-11-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

A makeshift coin-operated water dispenser at a Cebu neighborhood.

Drop 1 peso into the slot and you get to instantly fill out your 8-12oz water jug.

Photos by Fritzie Gumiran

My First Manila Cab Ride with the Receipt-Issuing Meter

2009-11-26T06:38:00.000-08:00

Finally, rode my first Manila cab with the receipt-issuing meter. At first, I mistook it for the car radio.

I politely asked Manong where the meter was and he proudly showed off the gizmo, he says he's one of the first cabs to have the meter. But it felt like a sucker punch for him to have one, he had to loan money from his OFW brother just to buy the mandatory meter which cost P13,500. All cabs must have one by December 2009 or else they can't hit the streets. They can get fined and the fines are huge.

Manong had a lot gripes. Instantly, I became his morning therapist. This was his cab, not owned by an operator or cab company who could afford to shell out the money for the meters. What are other cabbies to do when they can't make meet their daily boundary?

The Boundary is the earning quota Philippine cabs have to make per day to hand over to their operators. Once they reach the said quota, they can keep the rest of the money as their daily earnings. Manong Cabbie in this case would do double shifts and sleep at the gotohans so he can pay off his debts.

He's pissed that you can only buy the receipt-issuing meters at two shops right beside the LTO offices. Taga na nga sa presyo, lakas pa kumabig. These shop owners have the monopoly of the sales of the receipt-issuing meters. Imagine, the number of cabs in Manila required to buy from these shops.

These are cheap in Korea, he says. He has had several Korean passengers telling him so. But the LTO doesn't allow Manila cabs to buy secondhand ones.

He thinks the government should at least subsidize part of the cost; it's not a realistic expectation that every cab could get one by December.

Manong Cabbie also dislikes Manny Pacquiao. Wow he's like the first Filipino I ever met who vehemently dislikes the Pacman. He says Pacman's cab company na sosyo with a certain politician has the monopoly of the airport.

Bawal na kami sa NAIA. We're not allowed to pick up passengers at the airport, we can only bring them there. That single airport cab company now has exclusive monopoly of the terminals and they really have a hefty flagdown rate for OFWs. Yeah, I agree. My last airport cab from NAIA cost me P440 and my stop is just Pasong Tamo.

"Baket lahat ba ng umuuwi sa Pilipinas mayaman?" Manong gripes, "Maawa sila sa OFW"

Before I got off, he allowed me to take a picture of his meter. I'm not the first passenger, he says. People are so fascinated by it, they take pics with their cell phones to show to their friends.

I told him, "Manong,di bale sosyal na metro mo."

Oo nga eh, high-tetch na 'ito! He quips.

In Singapore, the taxi cab meter is a LCD screen. From Little India to Orchard Road with Yoshke it costs us $8 SG

In Berlin, a cab from Unter den Linden to the Hauptbahnhof station cost me around 15 euros (freakin' P900) but I love the rearview mirror taxi meter though, you can see the fare rate from any angle at the backseat.

Poi Goes Crochet Crazy

2009-11-25T23:14:00.000-08:00

How are your fingers Poi? Can I say patience is your real virtue?

Poi is a visual artist and photographer, you can find her exhibition work all over Manila and the Cubao X quarters.

I love Poi's crochet hats. She is making me one soon in time for Christmas!

Well do ya, do ya, do ya want one?

Make somebody love you with a Crochet Cloche!

visit Poi's multiply shop

Curfew Hours in Manila

2009-11-23T09:33:00.000-08:00

'Tay ayoko pang umuwi, gusto ko pang tumambay

So what are the kids up to lately?

Sari-Sari Store Junk Food

2009-11-17T06:44:00.000-08:00

When was the last time you've been at the neighborhood Sari-sari store?

The kids have it better now with the illegit movie tie-in merchandise. I used to buy Sari-sari store postcards when I was a kid which had frame by frame stills of movies like Petrang Kabayo and Inday Bote. Now they have more freebies at stake.
These are not condom packs. But if they were, these would be king-sized Magnums.

Hindi bato ang laman. But rubber bands, sugar balls and these candy-colored rings!

Ang tunay na sikreto ni darna! I love these!

Candies in pill blister packaging. Kids do start early with the uppers.

Sends the wrong message to the kids, don't you think? The tots might think all pill packs are the sweet deal.

An anemic version of Chocnut. Cheap and bland. It made my teeth hurt.

Mad Hair

2009-11-12T00:09:00.000-08:00

I love bed hair. I adore helmet hair.

I have hair envy for Helana Bonham Carter's untamed 'do.

So I really love this quick messy bun which I found on onehotchildinthecity which links to a YSL post

I gave it a try and I was a bit skeptic on how it would turn out after all Asian hair is mostly straight and not that poofy. Not bad, eh?

I've always wanted a hot hair bun 'do with layers like an ensaymada, but looks mad enough like 'sinabunutan ni Bella Flores'. Yeah.

And this is it!

Riding a Manila Cab with X-rays

2009-11-10T00:43:00.001-08:00

Took a taxi from Glorietta and I found this lovely surprise waiting for me in the backseat.

Someone's X-rays used as sun shields, taped on the backseat windows of the taxi. How ingenious.

The moment called for 'Someday You Will Be Loved' by Death Cab for Cutie, luckily it was still on my playlist.

The Cab driver however didn't want me taking his picture. He probably found me really odd, ogling over his skull scans. He denies that the x-rays are his, but the cab operator's.

There seems to be no obvious hematoma or contusions on the headscan, often seen on x-rays of drivers in vehicular accidents. The bones I can't say, but there is somewhat a remarkable break on them.

From the street I would notice pedestrians smiling at me, perhaps it would seem like a playful illusion from their end, a bit macabre seeing right through a passenger's head.

Hey Pitch!

2009-11-09T09:12:00.000-08:00

i keep forgetting to water you on time.
Sorry Pitch! ~~things could be better.~~

Film Stock and Memories

2009-11-07T02:16:00.000-08:00

I'm sifting through years of family photos, there is so much to scan. I miss working with polarioids. I adore my Dad for getting this brown accordion-type polaroid cam (SX-70) when my brother was born. Too bad the polaroid film stock has been officially discontinued, it signals the end of a forerunner in instant photography. But the demand by enthusiasts has been strong lately, hopefully the Polaroid company would stay true to their word.

A Tale of Two Cemeteries in Pampanga

2009-11-05T07:02:00.001-08:00

There are two cemeteries in my mother's town in Pampanga. A private one called a Memorial cemetery with its manicured lawns, drainage system and sprinklers. Here the funeral rites often have this cowboy and his horse-drawn carriage bringing out the dead.

The Memorial cemetery used to be a rice field and a nesting ground for migrating herons.

Now its too crowded out here on All Saints Day. You could hardly see the tombstones, it feels more like a park or some outdoor barbecue event.

The other one is the Public Cemetery, the one I am more familiar with. There is no planning or mapping involved in creating this sprawl. Here the sepulturero is King. He decides who comes and goes where and for how much. He knows the empty plots, the forgotten bones and the fresh ones still decomposing since what year.

Pink is the color of the season

Some tombstones are handmade and handwritten with love

While some remain forgotten and nameless

Some remain grand, towering over others. These are spaces for people who once walked the earth. They are known as Condominiums.

Some do get evicted from their plot.

Some are hidden by the laundry of the living.

A few are still swimming in some organic soup since the typhoon.

This small town public cemetery in Minalin is also a testament to centuries of inbreeding. I could map out the families and realized I am not far removed from their bloodlines. Kampampangans tend to intermarry into clans within the town.

I also find interesting what other people often put on the grave while visiting- food, shoes, letters, trinkets, toys, beer, photos and even pieces of clothing.

Excuse my tapophilia, my fascination for cemeteries stems from no underlying deathwish, but from a grave need to understand and archive the past in my own way.

Oral Sex on the MRT

2009-11-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Maybe I've been out of the loop lately or I haven't been on the MRT enough as of late. But these MRT public service announcements are ohlalala! very forward or somewhat risqué. Maybe I'm just being a prude. Or maybe I don't want to hear trivia about how to give good head while going to work haha.

One of the trivias overheard on the MRT PA system:
Ang lipstick ay inimbento ng mga Egyptians. Ngunit nilikha nila ito hindi para sa karaniwang Egyptian na kababaihan kundi para sa mga babaeng magagaling sa Oral sex. Kung nais niyo ng very inviting lips, mag lipstick na kayo. Cue Public Service Music.

Translation:
The Lipstick was invented by the Ancient Egyptians. But not just for ordinary Egyptian women, but for Egyptian women who gave good oral sex. If you want very inviting lips, why not put on some lipstick? Cue Public Service Music.

Maybe this is a safe sex campaign by the DOH or some condom ad- I'm not sure. It was so loud on the tram, I probably heard everything wrong. But seeing some raise eyebrows on the MRT, I guess the ads are for real. There were some ads about sexual positions and global sex stats as well, so this is definitely a series of sorts.

I mean we are so tolerant on everything public on the radio or on the metro lately. I've heard everything from Ba-na-na-na and local rap songs on Why Gay love is far better than hetero lovin' in graphic detail.

Maybe tomorrow while going to Cubao, there'll be something on cunnilingus.

Darn Dengue

2009-10-30T09:41:00.000-07:00

I went to Makati Med after spending the day at the Fire Station. I had to visit two friends stricken with Dengue- one is Ligaya's 11 year-old nephew Gelo and her boyfriend Q.

Too bad for Q. This is his first vacation in the Philippines and in less than a month he gets Dengue. There goes the island hopping plans. I can't blame him though MMC has just eaten through their vacay budget.

He looks really pale now that his platelet count is really low plus the rashes that comes with Dengue is unbearably itchy. I also discovered doctors don't allow Dengue patients to eat dark colored foods, in case some part of their GI tract starts to hemorrhage and bleed, they can easily detect the blood in the wastes.

Now he's going back to NYC much sooner than expected minus Ligaya who wants to spend more time with moi. Q confesses he can't stay longer in Manila past Christmas. It must be the humid weather and yeah, our killer mosquitoes.

On Queue: Last Day Registration for 2010 Elections

2009-10-30T07:02:00.000-07:00

We pinoys are definitely Vogons. Bureaucracy comes naturally to us, we like sending paperwork back and forth, we like signing things in triplicate plus making xerox.

I'm a first time voter (well by 2016 I will still be one) I have failed to register for a number of years now. And I have failed miserably today.

I have always been lazy at the idea of going back home to the province just to register. This is the only time I actually felt the election would matter. So I got my residence certificate and passport and headed to the nearest voter's registry. Perhaps all this effort came in way too late. Well, so much for 2010.

Some people have been here since 5am at the Makati Fire Station. They were told to come back in the afternoon after all their papers have been processed. They came back around 1pm - no dice. The lines were still long and the paperwork still undone. More people even showed up, maybe half the population of Rembo Makati.

The second floor is packed tight like an MRT tram on rush hour and by 4pm, the staff stopped giving out voter forms. They told those who came in past 4pm to come back as early as 4am the next morning to get in line again. Though the official registry wouldn't start around 8am. It kinda felt like lining up for Wowowee.

Well, I'm not coming back to go through hell again. All I ever get at queuing at government offices are these horrendous varicose veins.

Sing When You're Winning

2009-10-28T09:30:00.000-07:00

Today, I think about all the friends I made in Singapore and most of them are from Manila. Yay!

We are all bloggers. And we are a cult. Well to some people, it might seem like that.

I guess during the trip I realized, I kept boxing in every nook and cranny of my life into several specific blogs of interests. I don't really have one that's quite normal, where I could relax a bit and not really think so much. In writing on my other blogs, there's always this pause, this conscious effort to make every post cohesive with the overall topic. Never veering or straying away.

It's about time i let loose a bit and just blog for pleasure. If there is such a thing.

MadManila is the perfect spot now to add everyone I know online, regardless what they are blogging about.

So guys please send me your blog URLs :)

Your Manila, My Maynila

2009-10-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Manila can be an absolutely beautiful city. This is how I see the capital whenever I close my eyes. I imagine it to be better. Better for everyone that is.

I wish for a better transit system, one that leads to & fro of the outer rim of both North & South. This is the only way we can decongest Manila and create a viable urban sprawl.

Less malls, more parks & iconic landmarks

A recycling center for bottles, paper, plastics, electronics and organic waste.

A flood control system per municipality.

Less paper trails and bureaucracy in Government offices. I like the NSO system, its efficient and saves you days of getting in line. Wish they could do the same for other services.

Higher wages for teachers and better facilities in our public schools (1 student = 1 desk chair) Don't you think its about time all our kids get to sit down with the rest of the class?

I could go on with this wish list. Hope 2010 brings some semblance of a miracle.

So Much To Tell

2009-09-02T07:38:00.000-07:00

Work spares us from three evils: boredom, vice, and need.
-Voltaire

Blogging spares us from the same pitfalls.

MadManila is my blog for everything that matters or whatever concerns me at the moment.

Right now, I'm craving for Taho and all I hear is that yodeling Balut vendor outside.