Categories
Digressions

From Walwalan to Chillnuman: How to class up your drinking game

Notes: This post originally appears in Manila Bulletin’s MBLIFE.

So in the 90’s we had this thing called “house party,” which basically meant staying at home because we had no money. Our meager school allowance was left to the spoils of small change by the end of the week so between the half-dozen friends we could only really afford a bottle of rum and a liter (or two) of Coke. Yup, rum coke. Vodka sprite. These were the Gen X cheap cocktails of choice in a time before Andy Player and Tanduay Ice. And it’s probably the same for young millennials.

Spoiler alert: as you grow into your respective careers and earn a little bit more money, tastes change. Your affinity to sugary drinks and pre-mixed cocktails will start to wane, with preference to more sophisticated libations. Congratulations, you’re in the process of becoming a tito (or tita). But fret not! It simply means that you’re becoming more discerning with age: saying goodbye to cheap cocktails and saying hello to the world of whiskeys, single malts and gin & tonics.

Because whiskey is the most approachable in terms of availability and price, let’s start with that. For this piece, I went for a Johnnie Walker’s Blenders’ Batch, a curious dram which you can procure in S&R. I chose this for two reasons: Pinoys are already familiar with JW as a whiskey so it is held in high esteem because for some reason, JW Black’s vanilla notes appeal to the Pinoy taste. Second, this particular blend is an experimental one, in limited run and not so easy to find. So it’s basically hipster. And at P1,699 SRP, it’s still very affordable.

Here are three suggestions on how to consume this whiskey:

1. Neat (with a little water)

Taking your alcohol neat is the best way to appreciate the efforts put into creating the specific blend. For the JW Blenders’ Batch, you’re really getting something thematic – a “show off” of traditional American flavors – bourbon (which is made from corn) and rye (which is made from rye grain). The liquid is matured in bourbon casks and then transferred into former rye casks for as long as 6 months.

You will want to bring down the alcohol content from 40% to about 35% with a little dash of water – it really depends on how much you want but I’d recommend somewhere between a teaspoon to a tablespoon. Adding water opens up the flavors of the whiskey when you smell and taste it. It’s like smelling the grass after it rains – the rainfall opens up the flavors of the earth. Same goes for whiskey.

Instructions

Fill a whiskey glass or a Glencairn sipping glass with about 30ml of whiskey. You can add a little water, too.

2. Old Fashioned

It’s called an ‘Old Fashioned’ because it’s one of the oldest cocktails to date that’s stupidly simple to make. The resurgence of this cocktail in recent times is due to the rise of modern day speakeasy bars that mimic the prohibition era, as well as that episode in Mad Men where Don Draper fixes himself one behind the bar.

This cocktail is best made with an American whiskey – either bourbon or rye, so it’s rather thematic that we have the Blenders’ Batch on hand which is bourbon finished in rye casks. An old fashioned is really just a whiskey base with a sweetener such as sugar or sugar syrup and a dash of bitters. I prefer to use Angostura bitters (you can find this in online liquor stores, the liquor section of Landmark and South Supermarket in Alabang) but you can really just substitute this with a squeezed orange or lemon.

Instructions

Crush some sugar into a whiskey glass. I found that a tea spoon of brown sugar or muscovado works well. Add your bitters to wet the sugar and then pour 30-60ml of whiskey and stir to dilute. Add a huge ice cube. You may opt for small ice cubes but this may dilute the drink. You may substitute sugar with honey or simple syrup (simply heat a pan with 1:1 ratio of sugar and water) to make mixing easier.

3. Highball

If you’re trying to ease into the world of whiskey but find the taste too overpowering, you can dilute it with a can of soda water (not Coke!). You can easily find Canada Dry or Schweppes club soda in most supermarkets so fill a tall glass with ice, a shot of whiskey and top the glass with soda. Throw in a lemon or orange peel for class.

Instructions

Pour whiskey into a tall glass with ice. Pour soda water to the rim. Top with an orange peel or an umbrella or a slice of bacon. Whatever, really.

Categories
Digressions Geek

I can’t believe this piece is 11 years old. Oh how the world has changed.

Me: “Mobile Internet.” USD 140 laptops. HSDPA. Oh how the world has changed. 2006 was the wild west of mobile — the iPhone was new and Internet on your phone was a novelty. Oh the places we will go…

Publication: Mobile Philippines August 2006
Section: Columns
Column title: The prodigal screen protector and other bedtime stories

Mobile Internet? Yes, literally!

Well, the “Internet bus” will make waves, in my humble opinion, if it is used as a social development tool rather than for pure profit.

There is an ongoing project in Australia called StreetNet. This involves a huge bus, a dozen or so laptops hooked up inside, and wireless access eminating from a point of origin. The bus roams the streets of Sydney from 4 P.M. to midnight, helping the homeless keep in touch with the ever-changing rudiments of technology. How, you say? Because of their life circumstance, the less fortunate have it bad (yes, even in a place like Australia) when it comes to enjoying the basic leisure even modest households can enjoy, such as access to the Internet. I was looking over the project description: the cost of a huge van and infrastructure amounts to USD$100,000.00. Factors to consider are rising prices of gas, maintenance costs, and the availability of a wireless infrastructure in the area, among others.

Back here in the Philippines, there have been efforts to duplicate the “Internet bus” model. Remember back in the 80s when the Love Bus made waves because of its air conditioning? Well, the “Internet bus” will make waves, in my humble opinion, if it is used as a social development tool rather than for pure profit.

For one thing, driving around a huge bus with Net access in the city will do nothing more than contribute to the traffic and pollution. For something like this to unleash its full potential, the following things could be taken into consideration:

First. The target market should be the rural areas that cannot afford to have Internet access due to the lack of infrastructure. And speaking of infrastructure, a lot of households in the rural farms of Batangas can actually afford to buy computers but cannot afford to maintain them due to leaks and other weather intrusions. Having a one-stop shop “iBus” kills two birds with one stone.

Second. The Philippines is actually the first Asian country to successfully launch HSDPA (high-speed downlink packet access) commercially. Known as 3.5G, HSDPA was implemented by Globe last month on its networks, providing very fast data access wirelessly. This makes the mobile Internet café concept much more feasible.

Third. What about cost? Well, I’m no business junkie, but I believe projects like these should fall under a corporation’s CSR division or Foundation where overhead costs are shouldered by sponsorships and donations that should at least break even in the long run. The objective: the goal isn’t profit, but uplifting the technology literacy level of those who cannot afford due to circumstance.

The mobile Internet café is probably the most ideal solution for developing countries. I believe there are several organizations and corporations working together to bring the cheapest laptop or PC to the market. You have IBM, Intel, Microsoft and AMD, among others, plus Negroponte’s foundation that aims to bring the US$140.00 laptop to the masses. But once you bring these to them, what next? Will they actually use them? Will they just sell them or rent these out? I trust the entrepreneurial drive of most people below the hamburger index, and they will do almost anything to make money. The last thing they need is a computer. With the contained environment of the “iBus,” they can be taught, on a purely voluntary basis, about taking the next step in upgrading their lives.

Categories
Mostly Everything

Finger-Licking Food Recipes from Across the Globe

Are you a foodie who loves to try and taste various cuisines popular across the globe? Well, this is a great thing to do because nothing can be more wonderful to treat your taste buds with different types of tasty and aromatic food items every time. But as you are trying out the dishes from unknown cuisines there are high chances that you might miss out the best of the delicacies. We understand it is difficult to pick the best of the recipes from multiple cuisines and to help you out here we are listing out some of scrumptious food recipes from across the globe. Check these out:

Ground Beef Gyros

The ground beef gyro is a tasty recipe for the beef lovers. Generally beef is considered as a heavy meat and this sandwich recipe maintains a perfect balance. If you want to eat something light but full of flavor and taste, then you must try this scrumptious recipe. Being a summer preparation, this Greek recipe can be tasted in restaurants that serve authentic Greek foods. It feels more refreshing and tastes wonderful when served with yogurt cucumber sauce.

Pad Pak Ruam or Stir Fry Veggies

For people who want to relish on the healthy yet delicious Thai cuisine, this is an ideal recipe. This lovely colorful dish which is a combo of stir fry Thai vegetables is the healthiest and most nutritious recipe as you can choose what you want to eat in your plate. Also this dish has numerous variations which allow you to eat something new each day. People who don’t like to have rice in its original form must try out this amazing recipe to give their taste bud a flavorful zing.

Pork with mustard sauce

Having bread all the time in the form of burger or sandwich even in the restaurants can be quite boring, isn’t it? But stuffing bread with pork which is tossed and sautéd with white wine and thick mustard sauce brings an amazing twist and relish the taste buds. This deep fried wine recipe is a pure delight for the bread item lovers. Go grab this one from your favorite restaurant using the Fave Singapore coupons at a discounted price.

Delicious Chicken Fajitas or Wraps

If you have a special thing for rolls and wraps then chicken fajitas will be a quick savory item that you will simply love to munch upon. This very popular wrap stuffed with marinated chicken tastes heavenly and makes a great snack to grab a quick bite whenever you are hungry. This recipe can be a very good replacement of the unhealthy and greasy junk foods. This can even be part of the main course, just create a platter with your favorite soup or pancakes for a stomach filling treat.

Spanish Tortilla

Want to relish the world-famous Spanish cuisine and indulge in tantalizing delights? You can start with Tapos which includes a wide range of delicious appetizers or you can say starters. For the first timers who want to taste Tapos foods, the Spanish Tortilla is a good option to try out. This super yummy version of omlette which is tossed with pan fried onions and potatoes is a great add-on to the platter of the omlette lovers. It is light on your tummy and acts as a great appetizers.

Ginger Noodles with Thai Prawns

For people who love to have noodles in their platter, the Ginger noodle along with Thai prawns is a wonderful item to try. This is a stir fry noodle recipe which is treated with ginger and tossed with delicious Thai prawns. It is a recipe that makes a perfect choice for the healthy, light and sumptuous dinner for every member of the family starting from the kids to the older members It is ideal for people who want mostly protein and carbohydrate concentration in their food keeping the fat low.

The yummy brown American Pie

When we are talking amazing some of the mouthwatering recipes desserts are must to mention. Appletarts are very famous dessert items especially for the kids and the American Pie is a classic of the same. You can try different variations in the apple mixture that is used for filling. When some people love to include raisins and other dry fruits in this tart, some add other things like cinnamon and cedar cheese just to add more taste to it.

So, these are some of the most wonderful recipes picked by our experts from the most enriched cuisines in the world. Next time when you plan to visit the restaurants around you don’t miss out on these amazing food items by redeeming the Fave Promo codes Malaysia. These dishes will be an amazing treat for your palette. Don’t wait anymore and start munching!

 

 

 

Categories
Mostly Everything

Supercharging Social Media with OneCore Social

Social media marketing is one of the most integral parts of modern brand management. A good social media campaign needs to target the proper people, be visually appealing, and engage the audience in a meaningful conversation. This can be a very difficult endeavor, but there is plenty of help out there to those who need it. The OneCore Social media services department is available to provide all the assistance that a business needs to thrive in the modern social media environment.

 

Developing Your Strategy

 

The first step you will take when working with your social media marketing team is to develop a comprehensive strategy. OneCore Social does not take a one size fits all approach to marketing. Instead, your social media strategy is tailored specifically to your individual company and your business objectives. This provides more flexibility and allows for a greater degree of efficiency. By creating a targeted social media strategy, you get to ignore posts and analytics that have no bearing on your business. This means that everything that does get used serves as specific purpose that will help your bottom line. The final plan has plenty of detail and uses reports targeted to information you want to see.

 

The Value of Analytics

 

Analyzing data from your social media feeds is the key to making sure that you get the results you want. You can be as active as you want and still lack the impact you are looking for if you go into your marketing plan blind. That is why OneCore Social involves a number of different analytic and training services. That way, you know what you need to look for and what the data means. In addition to providing detailed analysis on the success of individual posts, ads, and other measurable data, OneCore also uses social listening technology. Social listening tracks social media conversations about your brand, even if you wouldn’t normally see it on your feed. That way, you know how the online conversation is going.

 

Getting Trained on Social Media

 

The average digital marketing agency focuses more on providing a solid product than on making sure their clients can handle social media marketing in the future. This is fine as a short-term solution, but it doesn’t help a company that needs to move its marketing in-house down the road. OneCore Social provides not only the great service you need but also training for your internal marketing teams to use social media effectively. The partnership then becomes less of a one-time service and more of a relationship that allows both companies to grow. The better you become at social media marketing, the greater the achievement for OneCore.

 

Social media marketing is one of the best ways to grow your brand and introduce it to conversations around the world. OneCore Social provides the tools you need to succeed in this endeavor and makes sure that you have the training needed to continue that success into the future. With these services, your brand will benefit from the latest in marketing technology.

 

OneCore Media (formerly known as ICM Consulting and Media Corp.)

1000 Finch Ave W

North York

ON

M3J 2V5

Canada

(416) 665-2109

 

Categories
Mostly Everything

Fitting in with the San Leandro Community

 Lying close to San Francisco, Oakland, and other major California cities, San Leandro is a relatively small but very comfortable city with a lot to offer. It is especially favorable to Millennials, many of whom seek to rent an apartment in San Leandro. Whether you fit in with this young crowd or plan to move to the area for a different reason, here are some of the things you need to know when becoming a part of the community.

 

Finding the Right Place

 

One of the first things you need to consider when moving to San Leandro is what sort of home you want. While many people have visions of large houses in the suburbs, there is also a benefit to starting off small so you can get used to the community. For single people living alone, San Leandro studio rentals are an excellent way to acclimate yourself to the San Leandro environment. If you choose an apartment in a community, you gain the benefits of security, easy parking, and quick access to laundry facilities. You can also get such great benefits as your own private balcony and access to a residential swimming pool.

 

Getting to Know Your Neighbors

 

You can potentially live in an apartment for years without communicating with those who live around you, but that defeats the purpose of being in a community. San Leandro has a terrific environment full of diverse and interesting people. Not only should you take some time to get to know them, but you should also make sure that you are a good neighbor as a whole. This means taking responsibility for keeping your complex and neighborhood clean, avoiding leaving personal property out in community spaces, and keeping the noise down late at night. As long as you put in the effort to be a respectful and engaging neighbor, those around you will return the favor.

 

Planning Your Activities

 

Thanks to its proximity to places like Oakland and San Francisco, San Leandro has dozens of possible activities that can suit virtually any lifestyle. Nearby areas of interest include the Oakland Zoo, Kennedy Park, and the Oyster Bay Regional Shoreline. That isn’t all, though. San Leandro itself has dozens of different community activities throughout the year that you might find engaging, including holiday celebrations, a summer cherry festival, community pool activities, and much more. Decide what you are interested in and then look around the city to see what activities meet those interests. You should find something that engages you and gets you involved in the community, no matter what your hobbies are.

 

The possibilities in San Leandro are virtually endless. The more effort you put into making sure that you get along with your neighbors and help out your community, the more you will get in return. By knowing your neighborhood and engaging regularly in activities around the city that pique your interest, you will find yourself getting the most out of living in the fine city of San Leandro.

 

Metro 77 & 85 Apartments

77-85 EstabrookSt

San Leandro

CA

94577

United States

+1 (510) 351-8694