The Charm that's called Willing Willie

There's something that I simply do not understand. Willie Revillame has been into too many controversies yet he ends up soaring really high in the showbiz industry. He's just one of the most influential media figures in this generation. And that's quite disturbing for me.

I tend to hold my opinion when it comes to products, politics, religion, and individuals whenever I blog. But right now I'm just so disturbed after a few friends posted this video on their Facebook walls.



As a marketer, I made a choice not to support companies nor any medium that I think disrupt the values of people. Call me too narrow-minded, but TV shows in a media plan for a brand campaign are just plain demographics and figures in terms of ratings/ viewership. Even before the Ultra stampede, I made an effort to tell our media planning company to remove Wowowee at any of the brand campaigns assigned to me. Maybe I'm lucky because I am able to find other shows to fill in the "numbers" gap to achieve the desired total ratings for the media plan. Or maybe I did not handle a megabrand or, say, a mass-based brand. But for me it's a choice. Willie is just too charming for the masses, but that does not mean he's the only way to reach them. Now that I'm in the field of education (fortunately, with no budget to afford a TV campaign), I sense the responsibility to support the students to become leaders with the best ethics possible. Hence watching Janjan in the Willing Willie segment crushed my heart.

Whatever your opinion about Willie, let it be. Time and again, this guy has managed to escape his egotistical, and sometimes stupid, ways. Not even a major network can put this fool down. So all this hullabaloo may reach the same sad ending.

Now as an individual I'm just doing my part not to become another number to his success. His shows are banned in the house. Whenever we can, we do not support any of the products that advertise on his show. There are just too many shampoos, deodorants, and liniments around.

Besides, I would rather watch the news.

Rediscovering an Heirloom Recipe

I had the privilege to attend a workshop yesterday called Discovering the Filipino Palate at Enderun. The program was initiated by noted author and New York-based restauranteur Ms. Amy Besa and Enderun Extension.



I almost did not make it in the workshop because hubby and I had our blood tests and his annual physical exam. Though I was very tired that afternoon, what caught my interest was Ms. Besa's passion to relive Filipino cooking techniques, such as the use of the palayok, bamboo and banana leaves.

There was no cooking session, but the event concluded with a tasting feast of simple Filipino vegetables and seafood with an assortment of condiments and fermented foods, such as burong isda and atcharang kamias.

I went home with a full stomach but felt the urge to look into my family's heirloom recipe for TIDTAD or the Kapampangan's version of dinuguan. Whenever we go home to Sta. Rita, it's always what I request from my lola. Somehow, tidtad reminds me of my childhood, having spent the first 8 years of my life in Pampanga. I have tried tidtad in restaurants, but my lola's version will always be my favorite. She used the palayok and the classic lutuan with panggatong. Never the stove with gas.

I got this recipe from my aunt, who does a version which is almost close to that of my Lola Flor and Lola Maring. When my cholesterol level is back to normal, I will ask my mom to cook tidtad with me.

TIDTAD NI LOLA
1. I-adobo ang liempo meat, garlic, pepper, salt, bayleaf, and vinegar using a stock pot. Let it boil and then set aside.
2. Saute garlic, onion and the inadobong meat. Just let it boil, adding a little water.
3. Add cubed blood of pork. Start mixing once it boils again.
4. If there are remaining pork's blood, strain to break it into small pieces. Add into the pot.
5. Add vetsin and patis to taste.

Yet to do this on my own. But I'm really inspired. Tidtad is my comfort food. If I do this really well, my late lolas will be very very proud.

When God Closes a Door, Somewhere He Opens a Window

Hubby always tells me -- Let go! Snap out of it!

It's been 8 months since I lost Lira, my 2nd daughter. And 8 months since I neglected my flourishing business. In my mind, they were born together. It was last February 2010 when I learned that I will be flying to the Netherlands to be a part of BiD Networks Women in Business competition, a vision that I have been eyeing after Rags2Riches won the grand prize of the BiD Challenge in 2009. By end February, I got pregnant. Last July 17, Lira died at 22 weeks of my pregnancy. My business died with her.

Today, my major retailer decided to pull out my product from their store because of its poor performance. I know why. I stopped marketing it. I stopped being aggressive in making it a global brand. But also today, I got an email from BiD, my sponsor in the Netherlands. My business has been upgraded for matchmaking to investors. One very high end resort also just sent me info on their order of the product. I have a mix of emotions now.

When God Closes a Door, Somewhere He Opens a Window.



Lira, my angel, tell me where to go. I want to snap out of this loss and move on.