CHICKEN ALA KING

Every time it comes to my mind, making Chicken Ala King gives me a difficult to prepare impression until I tried to do it and it was not what I thought as that difficult, that I will not need to go baking it.  It is a simple and easy since the ingredients that will be needed are not that much and complicated.I thought this dish is similar to Carbonara because of its creaminess but they are different of course.  Here is how it goes in making my Chicken Ala King.

INGREDIENTS

a.)  1/2 kilo chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes

b.)  ½ kilo pasta, shell or elbow

c.)  1/2 cup all-purpose flour

d.)  1 cup, non-fat milk

e.)  400 grams mushrooms, sliced thin

f.)  1 large green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch cubes

g.)  salt and pepper taste

h.)  1 small red bell pepper, minced (option for garnishing)

PROCEDURE

1.  Cooked the chicken until tender. Remove the chicken, cool down and cut into cubes.  Set aside the broth.

2.  In a pan, heat the oil and sauté the mushrooms.

3.  Add the green bell pepper, salt and pepper.  Stir until mushrooms are softened and starting to brown.  About 3 to 5 minutes.

4.   Add the chicken broth.

5.   Whisk the flour in milkuntil smooth and add into the pan.  Stir often.

6.   Add the red bell pepper and stir.

7.   Add the chicken and mix the red bell pepper.

8.   Serve hot or cold, with biscuit on the side or plain.

The nice thing about this, my first two Chicken Ala King has drawn nice feedback from friends who tasted it and inspiringly I would like to do it again and again.

And lastly, just eat right!

By Alex V. Villamayor

SMOKING CIGARETTE

When people have met together in one place like market, streets, bus stops, public utility vehicles, parks and even in a small group gathering like parties and casual talk; one of the most common unpopular things that prompting one and another is the discomfort about person smoking while in the crowd.  Time and again, there is an outstanding argument between the smokers and non-smokers of to smoke or not to smoke in shared places.  While the former complaints their missing personal freedom, the later however rightfully claim their violated freedom too.

Smoking is fixation, quitting it is tough thing to do that no one will call chain smoker if it’s easy.   It has to understand people into it are helplessly needed to smoke.  But it has to remember that smoking is a vice and unhealthy bad habit that should not to be shown in public.  Justifying that people are spending their own money to smoke the cigarettes and prohibiting to smoke is depriving their freedom, it has to say that spending is a choice and it is not they were prohibited to smoke but it is the place to smoke were prohibited.

When claiming the oppressed freedom, the rights of every person are put in question.  If it is said it’s striping-off your right, how about the others who are harmed of this right you are claiming?  Smoking is anybody’s prerogative.  Call it theirs privilege, everybody is entitled and has right to do what will make them happy and contented as long as we are not interfering, interrupting and disturbing.  They can smoke as much as they want, but this world is for everyone.  On the other hand are people who are not into smoking and they too have right to have smoke-free air.

People are different; everyone has its own prerogative.  Everybody wants to be free, everyone is entitled to claim their freedom but it has to understand too that enclosing to this freedom of expression is the corresponding responsibilities.  Not because of this overused freedom you are free to do what you want, you have to remember your responsibility to your neighbors.  You can smoke anytime, it’s fine go ahead but do not implicate those without interest to smoke.  The emitted smoke that taints the air is the same air inhaled by other person, here comes the secondhand smoking which is riskier.

Cigarette smoke like smokes from those vehicles and factories is irritating to our sense of smell and sight.  If you are jeopardizing the fate of others then it is not rightfully to excuse your freedom.  We are after the welfare and the circumstances of everyone be it smokers or not that is why there are designated proper places designed exclusively for smoking.  Because it cannot break this addiction, the least the world can offer is to set the right place to smoke.

Apparently I am not on the side of smokers. But without being nasty, I would say there is always proper places and time for everything and anything.  Let us acknowledge the respect.  Treat each one with due respect and we will receive the same deserved respect from what we did.  We are breathing and sharing the same air, it is unfair for those who protect it to breath the same air impure by the unconcerned others.

By Alex V. Villamayor

February 28, 2015

ETIKETA: MGA HINDI KASALANAN PERO MALI

May mga pangkaraniwang ugali at gawi tayo na hindi dapat ginagawa sa maraming tao dahil mayroong sinusunod na batayan ng tamang kaugalian, kilos at mga bagay na angkop at tanggap sa pangkalahatang lipunan.  Ito ang tinatawag na etiketa na siyang nagdidikta ng tama at mali.  Tinatawag na walang modo ang isang tao kung ang mga ugali niya ay lihis sa mga katanggap-tanggap nakagandahang-asal. Walang urbanidad o walang pinag-aralan sa ibang salita.  Bagamat ang mga ito ay hindi masasabing kasalanan ngunit ang mga ito ay mali at hindi ito maganda.  Mayroon sa hapag-kainan, trabaho at pagdadamit ngunit narito ang ilan sa mga pangkalahatang etiketa:

1. Nakakabulahaw.  May mga tao na walang pakialam kung sila ay nakakabulahaw tulad ng pagsasalita ng malakas, pagkilos ng maingay at malakas na pagpapatugtog ng radyo o telebisyon.  Ang mga taong ito ay walang respeto sa mga nangangailangan ng katahimikan.

2. Pag-ihi sa tabi-tabi.  Liban sa mga hindi maiiwasang pagkakataon, hindi magandang ugali ang pag-ihi sa kung saan-saan o sa tabi-tabi.  Bukod sa hindi ito malinis, ito ay isang personal na pribadong bagay na hindi ipinapakita sa mga tao.  Kasama na dito ang pagdura at pagsinga.

3. Mahalay.  Ang usapang patungkol sa mga pribadong seksuwal na bagay ay hindi magandang iparinig sa hindi kausap na tao.   Mabuting hinaan lamang ang pagsasalita kung ito ay pinag-uusapan ninyo sa lugar na may ibang tao.

4. Malaswang pagdadamit – saabihin man na bagay o hindi, ang pagsusuot ng kasuotan ay namimili ng tamang panahon at lugar.  Hindi dahil maganda, nasa uso at gusto mo ay maisusuot mo ito sa anumang pagkakataon.

5. Pang-aabala.  Nakakalungkot namay mga taong hindi marunong mangimi sa pang-aabala ng ibang tao para sa kanilang sarili.  Sa mga pabor na nakakaabala, naaantala ang iyong pagtulog, pagpapahinga o kung anumang ginagawa mo para sa kanilang kapakinabangan.Kabastusan, kung hindi rin lang biglaang pangangailangan, huwag ng mang-abala.

6. Madaldal.  Mayroong kahit anong bagay ay sasabihin upang makapagsalita lang at may mapag-usapan.  Sila ang nagsisimula ng pag-uusapan at habang nasa gitna ng pag-uusap ay boses nila ang maririnig.  Kakambal ng taong daldal ay ang pagiging tsismosa, pintasera at pakialamera.

7. Pag-utot, pagdighay at pagbahin.  Bagamat ang mga ito ay natural sa lahat ng tao, ngunit ang madalas na pag-utot sa maraming tao, pagdighay at pagbahin nang malakas ay hindi normal at hindi tanggap sa sukatan ng kagandahang asal.

8. Paglilinis ng katawan.  Mabuti ang maging malinis sa katawan ngunit ang mga bagay na tulad ng magkahig ng tutuli,pangungulangot at mag-gupit ng kuko kapag nasa publiko ay mali.  Ang mga ito ay dapat na ginagawa sa loob ng bahay o ikinukubli kung wala ka na sa iyong pamamahay.

9. Maingay Kumain.  Hindi sila maingay na nagsasalita habang kumakain kundi maingay silang kumain dahil malakas ang tunog ng kanilang pag-nguya.  Nakakaasiwang marinig ang tunog ng pinaghalong katas ng pagkain at laway habang ngumunguya.

10. Minumumog ang iniinom.  May mga tao na matapos kumain at kapag uminom na ay minumumog niya ang tubig na kanyang iniinom.  Hindi magandang tingnan na inumin ang pinaglinisan.

11. Girigis magsalita.  Ang magaling magsalita ay marunong magbigay kapag nagsasalita ang kanyang kausap.  Mayroong tao na madalas maputol ang mga sinasabi ng kanyang kausap dahil agad siyang nagsasalita tuloy ay hindi natatapos ng kausap ang kanyang gustong sabihin.

12. Arbotera.  Mayroon tao na talagang hindi nahihiya na magpauna na sa paghingi ng mga bagay.  Gaano man kalapit ang loob mo sa isang tao, mas mabuti pa rin na maghintay na kusang magbigay kaysa sa magparamdam at magparinig.

Kadalasan ay sinasabi ng mga taong ito na nagpapakatotoo lamang sila o ginagawa lamang nila ang kagustuhan ng kanilang sariling damdamin.  Ngunit ang katotohanan ay umiiral ang kanilang pagka mal-edukado na hindi alam ang mga dapat at hindi dapat gawin sa pakikipagkapwa-tao.  Mayroon linya na nahihiwalay sa pagiging prangka at bastos, may mga tao lang na hindi alam ang pagkakaiba nito at kung paano paghihiwalayin ang pagiging totoo sa sarili at kagaspangan ng asal.

Ni Alex V. Villamayor

February 14, 2015 

COPING UP WITH THE GROUP

The world is so big for billion of people dwelling in different places and we’re just one of those.  From our standpoint where we actually live-in, we are just a small black dot in a wide-ranging large space.  Yet we still have issues with the few people around us, how much more then the issues of the whole mankind on this planet?  Too many different people from different walk of life have their rules in different ways and they’re difficult to concord and unite. Feminist, chauvinists, racists will not bow to whom they’re referred to.  The fundamentalist, leftist and the oppositions do not reconcile with the incumbent.  And the well-off will find it hard to come together with the poor and vice versa.  We have only two options, it’s either we leave them or join them.

You have your circle of friends be it good or bad, love it or hate it.  In a circle of friends where you are rubbing elbow with them, differences may still occur among the group for people are different and no two individuals are alike.  If you are the most different among the group, for instance if there is a person who has a higher intellectual, more sophisticated and rare emotional level among the group, if it’ll no big deal as widely accepted big deal then he must adjust himself with the majority.  People may not get his thought for we have our own mindset of comprehension and appreciation.  Sometimes, we cannot just embrace the concept of being cooperative just to be in the company or just to appear ourselves smart, simply because of the dissimilarity on the level of our stimulation to the subject.  Never impose your group to follow you, never expect your group to understand you.

In reality, there is invisible separating line between people.  The world is generally for mass or the ordinary people and they own the mainstream of the populace.  Those belong to the upper class are special.  Few are those unordinary such as aristocrats, glitterati, and the geniuses that is why they’re special for they’re not ordinary.  Definitely they have different lifestyle, interest and points of view but since it is generally the world of ordinary people, those not will feel different, outcast and bored.  Their interests might too high, rare or beyond the curiosity of the general public that doesn't arouse or fit to their interest.  It happened that most of populace cannot adopt or relate their kind not because for anything else but precisely because of their different interest.

The sense of belonging plays major connection in our human relationships and interaction.  Exerting efforts to be in the loop of your group to save it is so noble.  But it is still perfect to live with no pretense, do not change yourself just for the sake of cooperation if it will cause you of unrecognizing yourself.  If you found you cannot cope up with the majority of the group after unsuccessful attempt, walking out is perfectly fine.  Leaving out might a blessing in disguise, you rather look the silver lining than sour raping.  Do not feel it’s a lost but a helpful part of your past.  There are just people who were misunderstood, misinterpreted, and unappreciated because of their natural distinction but they are not wrong.  Nothing is wrong, just happened they are few and outnumbered among the large number of civilization.

By Alex V. Villamayor

February 20, 2015

MGA HINDI MAGANDANG UGALI NG TAO (Ika-2 Bahagi)

Sa patuloy na pagbibilang ko ng mga hindi magandang ugali ng mga tao, naririto ang karugtong ng mga ugali ng tao na bagamat hindi malaking kasalanan ay sapat na upang maglagay sa kanya bilang isang tao na mayroong hindi magandang ugali na nagpapasama sa kanya.

1.  Suplado.  Ayaw natin ng pangit at marumi.  Ngunit marami sa atin na kapag hindi natin gusto ang mga ganitong tao ay ayaw nating makasama dahil nandidiri tayo.  Maaaring maintindihan ito bagamat hindi dapat ngunit ang hamakin, kutyain, pintasan at suplahin sila dahil sa kanilang kalagayan ay ang hindi talaga tama.  Kapatid nito ang pintasero at mapanghusga.

2.  Kunsintidor – Kapag alam na natin na may maling ginawa ang ating mga kasama, kaibigan at kapamilya ay hinahayaan natin sila para lamang sila malugod dahil nagawa nila ang kanilang gusto.  Ngunit sa pagpapamihasa natin sa ganuon ay nagiging ugali na nila na gawin ang kanilang asal.  Kailangang  maranasan nila na hindi lahat ng gusto nila ay masusunod at malamang hindi sila tama.

3.  Inggitero.  Hindi masama ang gawin sa abot ng iyong makakaya na makamit din ang nakamit ng iyong kapwa dahil naiingit ka – ito ay panibugho.  Ang masama sa inggit ay ang paraan kung paano mo ito hinaharap.  Kung naghihinanakit ka dahil ang isang tao ay mayroong magagandang nangyayari sa buhay na wala sa iyo na nagtutulak sa iyo na magalit ka sa taong iyon, o kung gumagawa ka ng paraan na hindi matuloy ang isang magandang balak ng isang tao na kanyang ikagagalak – yun ang inggit.

4.  Bayolente.  Hindi magandang gawi ang magbuhat ng kamay sa kapwa bilang paglalahad ng kanyang damdamin o bilang bugso ng damdamin.   Hindi rin ito tamang pananaw na paggamit sa pagpapakita ng galit at tapang.  Mali na maging marahas dahil kahit siya kung nasa matinong pag-iisip ay hindi niya nais na pagbuhatan siya ng kamay.

5.  Malupit.   Mayroong sadyang malupit na masakit kung maggawad ng pagpapatawad (parusa) at gumanti, emosyonal o pisikal.  Sila yung matigas ang puso at hindi marunong maawa.  Kapatid nito ang bayolente.

6.  Mapagmura.  Ang mga salitang pagmumura ay ang namumuong puot mula sakaloob-looban ng isang tao.  Ang nagsasabi nito ay isinusumpa ang kanyang pinagsabihan, hindi maganda ang magsumpa ka ng isang tao. 

7.  Suwapang.  Lahat ng pakikinabangan niya ay gusto niyang maging kanya.  At ang nasa kanya ay sa kanya lamang.  Ganid, gusto niyang makuha at makamkam ang mga nasa kanyang kapwa upang maparami pa ang kung anuman ang mga nasa kanya.  Kauri nito ang mapanlamang.

8.  Makasarili.  Siya lang ang meron ng ganito, siya lang ang puwede gumawa ng ganun, siya lang ang dapat magsalita ng ganyan...  Kapag siya ang gumaya sa ginagawa ng kanyang kapwa, walang malaking usapan.  Ngunit kapag siya ang ginaya ng kanyang kapwa ay nagtatanim siya ng galit at naghihiganti.

9.  Madamot.  Maaaring mayroon tayong karamutan sa ating sarili dahil hindi tayo nakakariwasa sa buhay ngunit mayroong mga tao na ang karamutan ay sagad sa buto na kahit anung bagay ay hindi niya maipamahagi sa kapwa, dukha man o mayaman.  Kung ang tao ay labis ang mga biyaya at hindi man lang makapagbahagi sa mga nangangailangan, kasakiman ito sa mga biyayang ibinigay ng Diyos sa kanya upang magkaroon siya ng kakayahang magbigay ngunit hindi niya ginagawa.

10.  Mukhang pera.  Sila ang mga tao na ang ang bukang-bibig ay laging tungkol sa pera na mapupunta sa kanya, pag-iisip ng kung paano lalago ang kanyang pera at kung anu pa ang pagkakakitaan.  Materyalismo ang kahawig nito.

11.  Mapagmalinis.  Ayaw niyang maging negatibo sa mata ng mga tao kaya kahit ang mga mali na alam niya ay hindi niya inaamin.  Kung nalaman naman ng ibang tao ay ginagawan niya ng paraan na patunayang mali ito kahit sa hindi tamang paraan.  Kapatid nito ang ipokrita at sinungalin.

12.  Mapagkampi.  May mga tao na kapag ang kapanalig, kasama, kaibigan, kapamilya  nila ay mayroong hindi nagugustuhang tao o mayroong nakaalitan ay pati na rin sila ay nakikigalit at galit na rin sila sa taong iyon.  Idinadamay niya ang lahat ng mga tao na malapit sa taong hindi niya gusto.

Ilan lamang ang mga ito sa mga hindi magandang ugali ng isang tao. Marami pang ugali ng mga tao ang nagpapasama sa kanila na kailangang may magpaalam sa kanila sa kung anumang paraan na malumanay.  Sinasabi na ang anumang lumalabas sa isang tao ay ang nagpaparumi sa kanya tulad ng mga ginagawa niya na nabanggit sa itaas.  Dahil anuman ang iyong gawin at sabihin tulad ng mga nabanggit ay walang ibang panggagalingan kundi mula sa maitim na puso.

Ni Alex V. Villamayor

February 6, 2015

TALKING TO THE POPE

The Pope is the highest ranking authority and the head of the Roman Catholic Church and Catholicism worldwide.  In three different times, Philippines was visited by three Popes which are in 1970 by Pope Paul VI, 1981 and 1995 by Pope John Paul-II and recently in 2015 by Pope Francis.  Every time the Pope visited Manila, the reception and response are always overwhelmingly.  With the record-drawing six million devotees attended in the mass on January 17, the event has just proven the Philippines as the dominant Catholic country in Asia and sealed the claim for the world’s record of biggest Pope’s congregation.

The Pope had come and gone and so much has been said and heard about the Papal Visit in Philippines.  So many have wanted to meet, see or to have an encounter with the Pope.  For a Catholic, to be with him is a privilege since it is not everyone has the chance to see or much more to get closer with the Pope.  Usually, those in authority, well-known, and dignitary persons have an easy access to meet and talk the Pope.  But for ordinary people, meeting the Pope is tough, taxing, risky and shooting the moon thing to happen.  It is really a very rare chance for someone who is an ordinary citizen that had able to come or speak to the Pope.  You have to be the few lucky to be the one.

To be one of the few to meet the Pope in a Papal visit, you have to undergo in a process of selection.  Some are lucky to represent their groups such as the oppressed children, victims of the super typhoon Haiyan and the survivors of the 7 magnitude earthquake in Bohol.  But once chosen you’re no longer ordinary for you are about to receive the unordinary assistance accorded with privilege from the coordinating team.  But for those really ordinary people, and for let say in random if you were surprisingly picked up to have the rare chance to have a close encounter to the Pope, or if you were given the chance to meet and talk to the Pope, if you will speak with the Pope, what would your question will be or what would you say to the Pope?

Friends were asked and most of them were saying given the chance they would like to ask the Pope to pray for their family to keep them away from harm and sick.  Other would grateful to say thanks to him for having a wonderful family and friends.  It is not wondering for a responsible family man, nothing he will ask for but always the welfare only of his family for here is his primary concern and his life is revolving around here.  It also raised the desire to say thanks for everything, while some will ask for the forgiveness of their all sins.  For ordinary individual these are common instinct but for those who have undergoing through, a bit of pain from where they’re coming from will surmount.

These things have also come to my mind.  Putting myself on the same shoe and if I have to speak with the Pope, I’d rather ask him first why life is seemed not beautiful when some prayers that are not plethora to ask are not granted.  I have many questions to ask but most are too personal that I cannot even write here.  Then I will say my life is not miserable but I have fear and sadness to complete the full circle of my life.

The visit of the Pope is re-enacting into life the gospel when God sent to earth His only Son to tell the world of His love and redeem the world from our sins.  And so the same when the Pope was sent too to us to get ourselves close to God.  We are lucky to have the opportunity to bring ourselves to God to receive the great mercy and compassion.  True, the Pope is not the God and it is not to say our prayer or to worship him but instead we are just talking to someone who is so close to God and nothing less.  The Pope is here as the emissary of God to bring the message of God to His flock just like what our God did to His begotten Son.

By Alex V. Villamayor

February 2, 2015