Fast food chains nowadays become very convenient especially for people who have busy schedules, and on tight budget. They offer cheap, tasty, and ready-to-go food selections that meet the taste of young and aged customers alike. Fast foods become so popular that it would be a rare, if not impossible, case if you met somebody who has not yet been to any fast food chain in his/her lifetime. Of course, with the exception of those who are of different civilization (ex. Indigenous groups).
The documentary “Supersize Me” has been an eye-opener for the damage fast foods can do to consumers who have them on regular basis. The creator of Supersize Me did a courageous, bold, and direct approach on unraveling the truth behind these popular fast food chains, particularly McDonald’s.
Without realizing it, fast foods play a role in building and maintaining relationships: between parent/s and child, between a couple, among friends, and among families as a whole. One of the happiest memories I had is when my mom brought as a Happy Meal as a “pasalubong” after she had gone for the whole day. My friends and I usually hang out at McDonald’s, exchanging endless stories. My siblings and I usually have bonding moments at a local fast food chain. Need I say more?
Looking back on your childhood, have you ever experience your mom or dad treating you to Jollibee or McDonald’s whenever you behave well during a mass every Sunday? Or rewarding you with a trip to Jollibee or McDonald’s for a job well done? The practice of rewarding kids with a treat to fast food chains might have a long-term effect as these kids would prefer foods serve in these establishments rather than those home-prepared foods which are more nutritious as they grow older. Remember the TV commercial with a kid who prefers to eat only fried chicken? How about the one which shows kids who love to eat spaghetti prepared in fast food chains?
Notice how small kids would excitedly hug Jollibee’s statue outside the entrance. These kids seem to be fascinated to the very enlarge red bee with a half-suit and bow tie. Once I did compare these kids to those aged people who make “pahid” to their patron saints. If this is the scenario, Jollibee could be called a saint as well. May be Jollibee is as popular as Jesus Christ to these kids. However, blaming these kids alone for their attitudes toward the enlarged red bee would be imbecile.
The said documentary did not only pose various threats facing addicted fast food consumers but it also presented that neglecting fast food consumption is not far from being possible. Surely, the owner of Baskin & Robbins did prove it was possible. Moreover, not all fast food are evil. The example for the “good” one would be Subway.
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These options, whether or not it poses threats to their regular customers, would always be the popular choice. They’re clean, fast, and tasty as opposed to many “lutong-bahay” where sanitation and taste is always a question. However, this popular choice would always have a corresponding consequence. It is up to us whether we are to follow the cravings of our taste buds or should we opt for a wiser choice. As the popular cliché goes “Lahat ng bawal, masarap”.
Labels: food
“What is your name?”
Perhaps this question was the first question you encountered a lot of times when you were a toddler. May be people around you did not really care what your name is, as they could ask this first to your parents, but they were interested to know if you, at your age at that time, could say your own name.
But as you grow up and, of course, mature, answering the “what is your name?” question would be a whole lot much easier than answering “Who are you?”
And for this matter, “Who am I?”
Answering this question would need more than knowing my status or my own achievements. For example, if I answer this question with “I am a student nurse of UST” it does not answer the “who am I?” but rather the “what am I?”
Oftentimes, one may perceive the “who am I?” question easy to answer. Think again. This question is not answerable by any questions in the bio data, or in autograph books I used to have when I was in grade school. Answering this question will need a concrete knowledge one self.
If I am to answer this question ten years ago, my answer would be much different from the answer I will have ten years from now. Inconsistent, isn’t? Would you really know who I am if there are inconsistencies? Maybe yes but not really, as change is the only permanent thing in this world.
When Jesus asked his disciples “who do you think I am?” only Peter gave the right answer. Unlike other disciples whose answers were based on rumors, Peter based his answer on the truth itself. Peter was sure of himself, of his answer, and of Jesus.
What did Peter answer? “You are the Messiah, Son of the Living God.” Notice how Peter knew Jesus, not by his name as it is, neither where Jesus came from nor what does Jesus do. Peter knew Jesus by his purpose and from whom he came from. This answer was given by Jesus two millenniums ago, and it will be the same truth two millenniums from now.
Every time I hang out in a bookstore, I never fail to notice countless books that would say how to truly know your self, how to be what you want to be, how to make the most out of life or even how to make yourself famous. With their catchy titles and some readers’ critics, sometimes I want to buy some of these books, as though they really can help me know myself, thus helping me to know who really I am. To top all of these books, one author say otherwise.
Rick Warren, author of the phenomenal book The Purpose Driven Life, said that the key in knowing thy self is not to focus on own self but to focus on the One who created the self. Through this way one can truly know self as one will know his/her purpose and that purpose will define who that self is.
So, who am I?
For me, no one could answer that but me. No books could answer that for me. I believe the one who can really answer that question is my Creator. Until I see my Creator face to face, that’s the only time I could say who I am.
As of now, I really do not have a concrete answer for that question. Goals and wishes do not count as answers, isn’t? Though right now, I can say I am a human striving, seeking, and a becoming.
That is who I am.
I am who I am.
*Philosophy 5 (Christian Ethics) paper, submitted to Prof. Aboy.
Labels: father
"Life is a like a ferris wheel. You're sometimes up, sometimes down."
"Life is a give and take process. You lose some, you win some."
"Life is a big surprise. You never know what will happen next."
"Life is a bitch."
"If life is a bitch, there's no hope at all. There's nothing good at all in life. Maybe life is a bitch for you, but how about the people who would trade anything to stay in alive? Those people who are willing to par millions to maintain their life?"
"I care about my job, Sir; I care about you."
"I care about you Sir, and I care about my job."
So the box was in my cart. Honestly, I wasn't so excited in eating it.Posh box flap opened...
Golden wrapper came out...
Golden tray came out of golden wrapper, containing 12 dark mints...
First bite...
I LOVE IT!
"My eyes adored you,
Though I never laid a hand on you
My eyes adored you,
Like a million miles away from me you couldn't see
How I adored you:
So close, so close and yet so far"
Tatot is really a sweet dog. She would rush into me every time I call on her. If I am at home on weekends, it seems she is so excited to see me and really would take an effort to cling on me. She's a unique dog, too. After Ming was "sent" away, she left behind a nursing kitten. This kitten sought refuge with Tatot and see her as her mother. One day, to our surprise, Tatot was breastfeeding the kitten even though Tatot never bore any puppy! She would also licked it like one of her own specie.Labels: arf