Toes & Turmeric

It goes without saying that whenever we have a sniffle we run to our local GP. Well, at least that’s what happens in this country. So sniffle up and bear it coz the price of medicare nowadays ain’t getting any cheaper. Those with our own medicare garden might consider growing spices. Ya spices! Ancient studies reveal that turmeric was or is a “hot product”. And I don’t mean that literally. Used in thousands of curry recipes (i have my own “bobotie” concoction), turmeric is that brown-looking, unobtrusive, spice that hardly gets much attention. But now, I have pushed it to the forefront as “thee” spice that dices. So what is all the rave about then? The low-down! It is believed to perk up the liver. Now, you might have forgotten that organ in your body while drinking down at the pub last night. For a definition: WEBMD writes: An organ in the upper abdomen that aids in digestion and removes waste products and worn-out cells from the blood. The liver is the largest solid organ in the body. Of-course, the nay sayers might say: “Well we have fish oil and red yeast rice.” Yea …. My

I’m in the driver’s seat

A quick post folks. After trying to renew my license and thinking it couldn’t be done, its done. Last week I picked up my renewed driver’s license. It now expires in 2011. Great news! The only problem was that I had to show off my commodities. Yes, folks the family jewels. Why should I show those precious stuff you might ask? Well, in order for me to take the drug test I had to urinate in front of everyone. With a bathroom the size of a cupboard closet, I wasn’t allowed to close the door. So off I went. I had to aim just right so that it filled up the bottle. Did I make it. Well, lets just say, I need target practice. Then again, I think I was even luckier as I was sure the clerk was gay and he could have bum rushed me. Oh, that was only a thought. The last time I was bum rushed was in San Francisco. We will leave that story for another day. So finally, I’ll be able to drive again!

The mall is the new church

Today was quite a busy day. After Beethoven was rushed to the “animal house” for an x-ray (the poor dog has arthritis), I got his kennel, and did the shopping. The only problem with the kennel is that the water container can easily tip over leaving him with no water on the plane. So that needs to be replaced. He still has a limp but he has courage to go on. Oliver, was visited by Mrs. Lee. She is funding a huge church in Batangas (the south of Luzon island) and a 33-storey statue of mother mary (don’t ask). Anyway, she came over to deliver a prayer for Oliver and was fascinated by how O. was eating. Then another couple graced our presence to give Barbara a huge rosary (pictures will follow later in the gallery). They are traveling with Father Suarez to Australia next month for a conference.

When I arrived back home it was late but I was met by a kind smile who quickly grabbed my pizza to give me a hand. It was Father George. Our resident Austrian missionary/priest who is helping the Tiboli tribe in Mindanao (pictures will follow too). Mindanao is one of the most southern Philippine islands and also one of the biggest except from Luzon.

As evenings go, we eventually ventured onto the topic of faith. Father George depicted an interesting theory based on a book called “Consumed”, wherein he writes about the pending period where man is driven to “things” which he doesn’t need. If that was a mouthful or what then I don’t know. To delve further on the matter please go to your local library but in short this is what it is.

People no longer stop and wonder why they are buying something but are caught up in the “advertising blur” of what their brains are fed. Its an ever consuming mechanism of attracting people to malls and luring them in to shop. If they did a statistical study on how much time we spend shopping as an average of our daily routine, I’m sure it would be astronomical. Think of the mall as the new church where people meet up, socialize and live. I mean if the iPhone craze is ever a clearer example of what we as a species are becoming then I would say that this guy’s theory is not that far off. People gathered in droves for the first one and now again there are lines around blocks. 

So what’s next for our souls to feed on? What’s the next thing we need to crave. Many websites that I like builds on this consumerism (cnet is an example – but I’m not using them as a scapegoat). Do we need all of it or can we live without it?