When I was growing-up in my beloved home town and the month of Christmas was starting to draw closer, the thought of unwrapping gifts was imminent. I would even dream of receiving envelopes from my godparents containing new bills with a crepitating sound. If ever you would receive an envelope with 500 or 1000 Philippine Peso, a glow of rapture in your face would be seen by the rest of the kids. That is why, my childhood friends and I were always looking forward to the Christmas Eve and the Christmas Day.
In the past, a week before the 25th of December most children in my neighbourhood would either have bought a new set of clothes with a pair of shoes or would be still searching for the quirkier illuminating attire with animation. Then, by the evening before Christmas Day our loving parents would wake us up to witness the colourful fireworks up in the sky before handing over the most anticipated wrapped gifts. On Christmas Day, we couldn't wait to garb ourselves in our new clothes/shoes and also exultantly looking forward to see each other's appearance. We would then walk as a group with a particular intention of visiting our godparents. They would welcome us into their homes and offer something to eat before handing over either an envelope filled with wads of cash or under the tree present comprised of our dream toys/brand-new clothes.
My childhood years were filled with meaningful and out-of-bounds memories; which I will treasure until my last breathe on Earth. More importantly, I am very thankful to have been surrounded by cheerful childhood friends when I was growing-up and was generously taken cared of by my parents, until I decided to leave the comfortable nest.
The children in my home town have all grown-up now and a few have fearlessly spread-out their wings in foreign countries. I am one of the few who has been living thousand miles away from my beloved country. In the years of living in London, United Kingdom I have learnt that there is more to just receiving a well-wrapped presents or a sealed envelope in life. In particular, I have been appreciating more the significance of Christmas cards when the warmth spirit of Yuletide is just around the corner.
The simple thought of sending a card with no manners of pretentiousness has been appreciated more by myself. In connection to this, the gravitational impact of the words written, it may be a long paragraph or just a simple phrase, will always hold dear in my heart. Genuinely, either a simple or extravagant card always brings a warm smile to my face. Its because, people reveal their true sincerity about their view of you in their inscribed words. Shall I say, shielding our selves with gripping and embracing words are the priceless gem of affection and weigh higher than conspicuous tangible things.
Christmas Day has passed and soon, we will welcome another brand-new year. Let us all be reminded that GREETING CARDS are not just customary and biodegradable papers. Veritably, they are worth their weight in gold as the tradition of sending our love and care to another person. Thus, they are not comparable even to high-priced handbags or any luxury items, if you regard less the so-called conspicuous consumption. I doubt it?
To those who have been appreciating my kindness like our neighbours, THANK YOU! To those who have been valuing the genuine nature of my friendship, THANK YOU MORE! To those who have been treating me as a family member, THANK YOU SO MUCH!
By and large, inscribed words from unexpected senders whether good or bad is an even-steven reflection of who we truly are as a mortal human being in this world!
I have found that using the electric food steamer was worth the trouble and time as it leaves the meat so tender!
Main Ingredients:
Pork Leg; cut into three pieces
Fresh Ginger, finely chopped
2 cloves of Garlic; finely crushed using a garlic press
2 tbsps. of Sunflower Oil
Sauce Ingredients:
3 tbsps. of Extra Virgin Oil
1 tbsp. of Clear Honey
¼ tsp. of Cayenne Pepper
a pinch of Salt
a pinch of Mixed Herbs
1 tsp. of Vegetable Stock Granules
Sauce Preparation:
In a deep bowl, combine the extra virgin oil, clear honey and cayenne pepper. Stir well.
Add the salt and vegetable stock granules as additional flavours. Stir all well again.
Once mixed and blended, just set it aside.
Thrice- Cooking Procedure:
Wash and rinse well the fresh pork leg (if frozen, thaw your meat).
Prepare the chopping board and use a butcher's knife to divide the pork leg into 3 pieces. Wash again and set aside in the fridge.
Prepare your electric FOOD STEAMER and fill the boiler pan/base with water up to its maximum water level.
Lay the pieces of pork leg into the rice bowl and then, place it in the steaming barrel/tray (if in case the rice bowl cannot accommodate all of the pieces, use another steaming tray. Just make sure that the piece of meat is placed in the centre so when it's steaming, the dripping juice will funnel down into the rice bowl underneath).
Cover, turn on the food steamer and set its timer at 40-60 minutes. Check every 20-30 minutes with the intention of turning each over. Alert your senses apart from maintaining the water level of its base.
While waiting, chop the ginger and crush the garlic. Additionally, formulate and make your homemade glazed sauce as well.
Prepare your cooking dish and scatter evenly on its base the chopped/crushed main ingredients. Then, seal it by distributing on top the sunflower oil.
Ten minutes before the steaming ends, preheat the oven to 160ºC under BAKE MODE (electric).
When the pieces of pork leg have been steamed, remove them out of the rice bowl and place them one by one over the arranged ingredients in the cooking dish.
Using a silicone pastry brush, coat and cover the pieces all over with the prepared homemade glazed sauce.
Subsequently, cover-up your cooking dish with a sheet of foil and seal it by twisting its end sides.
Place it in the preheated oven, then bake for 40 minutes. In 20-minute time, turn over and glaze the pieces with the remaining sauce and its own extracted piping hot succulent juice. Be careful not to burn yourself!
Once baked, remove the foil and bring the meat to GRILL MODE. I have been using a double-oven cooker with grill for the past months. Thus, when it was time for me to grill the pieces I turned on the grill and set its degree temperature to 3 out of 4 levels.
Grill them for 30 minutes and carefully turning over every 15 minutes. If you can spoon-out its extracted juice without burning yourself, do it and spread all over the pieces.
Once crispy grilled, take your cooking dish out of the grill. If possible, spoon & glaze again over the pieces its flavoursome jelly-like juice.
Leave it to cool down for 3 minutes before cutting the pieces into less choking portions. Alternatively, dish them out of the cooking dish and serve the way they are on the table for you and your 2 more family members to devour.
The benefit of using an electric food steamer in order to tenderise the meat is that it is far better than traditionally boiling it in a saucepan. Why is that? It creates a succulent meat with sitting duck consistency particularly the fat and skin. Moreover, it yields a gelatinous syrup which can be used either as the luscious final liquid for cooking rice or as a savoury broth ingredient for the gravy sauce.
The next time you have plenty of time, try cooking meat this way and who knows, your evasive granny would appreciate its succulence as well!
When a political man born with a silver spoon in his mouth met head to head with a self-made billionaire businessman who rose from scrapes of odds and ends. What do you think will happen when two divergent men brush each other's shoulders? Shall we find out in the 2016 American television series created by Brian Koppelman, David Levien, and Andrew Ross Sorkin entitled Billions...
They, Bobby "Axe" Axelrod and Charles "Chuck" Rhoades Jr., both had a common denominator in life, a strong-minded woman. Wendy Rhoades, M.D. was the wife of Charles "Chuck" Rhoades Jr. and a psychiatrist and in-house performance coach at Axe Capital. Her driven mindset and and on-the-fence character became more valuable but at the same time led to vulnerability by both of them.
He saw the advantages of the 9/11 terrorism coordinated attacks on The Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York and the attacks on Washington. Instead of mourning the lost thousands of lives, Bobby "Axe" Axelrod (Damian Lewis) saw the post- September 11th chaos auspiciously different; a way of augmenting his financial assets. In what way? In the episode, “Boast and Rails”, there was a meeting with his lawyer outside usual appointments to recapitulate the September 2001's events and the position of his firm. They were working out a severance agreement but it ceased when the The Twin Towers were hit. Its because he could foresee the financial profits by venturing his firm from the ashes of the brave souls to the top of Wall Street's hedge fund game. That was the explosive summary of his company's new name, Axe Capital, personal rise to power in 2001. However, he didn't just keep all the three quarters of a million profits he had piled-up. He and his wife, Lara, helped financially a lot of families whose loved ones died in the terrorism attacks. They also shared the yielded “sensitive dough” by donating millions worth of things to worthy charities.
(Damian
Lewis as Bobby
"Axe" Axelrod)
Bobby "Axe" Axelrod's spearheaded standpoint in life and brilliant mind on Wall Street's hedge fund game was strengthen and balance morally by his devoted wife, Lara Axelrod (Malin Akerman). She was a nurse by profession with a blue-collar upbringing who fascinated and bewitched Axe when he was still a low-key profiled man. According to one of the episodes, because of her unrefined charisma Axe fell in love with her instantly and the next day, they got married. The fruits of their love and devotion as a couple procreated 2 complaisant boys. Despite their wealthy status in life, Lara remained unpretentiously balance especially when her family members and their jealous friends would like to ruin her husband's reputation. She deterred in her own approach a few plotted public humiliations against Bobby "Axe" Axelrod- even when it involved her family. However, her sensibility as a wife was muddied every time her husband defended and highlighted in their conversations the company's in-house performance coach, Wendy Rhoades. That is why, when her sacred vow as a wife was rimmed by jealousness because of one untold truth she left Axe with the boys in a troubled state.
(Malin
Akerman as Lara
Axelrod)
When Axe was just starting and wasn't well-heeled in life yet, Wendy Rhoades, M.D. (Maggie Siff) stood beside him as company's psychiatrist and more so, as a bestfriend. They were bonded with a strong attachment as grown-up professionals who both respected each other's private life. Wendy's sympathetic characteristic at work was valued highly by Axe as she was the only one who could pacified his unuttered caprice. That is why, when Wendy decided to resign her post at Axe Capital because of her husband's stilted vendetta, she also cut all direct personal communications with Axe. Undeniably, the business equilibrium mindset of Axe was distressed despite the fact that they hired a new in-house performance coach. Her resignation was a great loss for Axe which also resulted in a marital separation with Chuck. However, they were able to work again at Axe Capital when Wendy gave Axe an assent phone call in the episode, "Indian Four". They met in person and she favourably asked him to drop all of the lawsuit charges against her husband, Charles "Chuck" Rhoades Jr.
(Maggie
Siff
as Wendy
Rhoades, M.D.)
He came from a silver spoon family who had a quick uplift exposure in politics because of his father's wealthy connections. Charles "Chuck" Rhoades Jr. (Paul Giamatti) thinks highly of himself as a great defender of justice who had a particular distaste for wealthy criminals. Yes, he had significant power as a U.S. Attorney who tried to set aside personal motives in order to follow jurisdictions. However, he became more twisted like the corrupt officials in power when he focused more on placing the nouveau riche, Bobby "Axe" Axelrod, in prison. Because of his withhold personal animosities, it affected his matrimonial relationship with his wife, Wendy Rhoades. He pried on Wendy's laptop and found out some confidential conversation's jottings with Axe in the episode, "Magical Thinking". Because of his rapacious behaviour, Wendy resigned at Axe Capital and also decided to extricate herself emotionally from him as a wife. Chuck's life didn't just evolve in the yearning for more political power as he was also an “ill” man. He had a secret life which he dearly enjoyed and couldn't resist in the world of erotic roleplaying (submission) called BDSM. His obsession for roleplaying was a secret in the public's eyes but not to his wife, Wendy. She understood and even embraced roleplaying as well as enslaved Chuck as the dominant Ma'am.
(Paul
Giamatti as Charles
"Chuck" Rhoades Jr.)
Taylor Amber Mason (Asis Kate Dillion) is the first-ever non-binary character and in real life has been using preferably the pronouns “they, their and them” as an uncustomary identification. They was an intern at Axe Capital under the supervision of Mafee (Daniel Soder) when their was introduced to Bobby "Axe" Axelrod. Taylor's forthright hedge fund knowledge caught the full attention of Axe who later in the second season proposed to them a staggering and brilliant offer to be an employee at Axe Capital. The offer was accepted and as the series continues, they role in the company progressed headily as an appointed C.I.O. Because of their unequivocal attitude towards Axe, Taylor was invited to play on Axe's team at the Alpha Cup to which their crushed and shamed Todd Krakow (Danny Strong) in the episode, "Optimal Play". Taylor became like a right-hand man to Axe and when Bryan Coonerty (Toby Leonard Moore), Chuck' point man, found out about it he cajouled Taylor to testify against Axe's fraudulent hedge fund. However, them calm mind paved the way for they disregard the high moral grounds that was accounted for by Bryan. As a result, they went to the U.S. Attorney's office with the twist of embarrassing Bryan and turning down the impunity proposition in the episode, "Golden Frog Time".
(Asis Kate
Dillion as Taylor
Amber Mason)
Generally speaking, both Axe and Chuck had stubborn personalities and wanted their own way. Chuck, a defender of the law, went too far and broke the trust of his office in order to catch Axe. The common upstart, Axe, also broke the law knowingly and was aware of what he was doing. As they battled, we see their human frailties which constantly dogged their higher plans.
When main motives are clouded by personal animosities, always expect to reap worst chain reactions, which is either a long-faced consequence or the tearful collapse of your entire life.
Adobo is a very popular Filipino cuisine, which involved stewing with vinegar. In the late 1500s and early 1600s, the Republic of the Philippines was colonised by the Spanish, who encountered an indigenous cooking process, which they then referred to as 'adobo'. A Spanish word for seasoning or marinade.
This is a meal that uses sauce and seasoning on meats. The common way of cooking this recipe is to fry the meat first in oil and add the sauce mixture afterwards.
In this recipe, I grilled the meat and then, baked it in the oven!
!
Main Ingredients:
3-4 pork chops
a dash of salt & pepper Grilling
Sauce Ingredients:
4 tbsps. of Soy Sauce
2 tbsps. of Wine Vinegar
2 tsps. of Worcestershire Sauce
1 ½ tbsps. of Extra Virgin Oil
1 teaspoonful of ground pepper
¼ tsp. of cayenne pepper
vegetable stock granules to taste
a pinch of mixed herbs
1 medium-sized onion, cut into 4 (separate each layer)
2 cloves of garlic, crashed
2 medium- sized potatoes, peeled and cut into 4
Sauce Preparation and Cooking:
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, wine vinegar, worcestershire sauce and extra virgin oil until well blended.
Add the ground pepper, cayenne pepper and vegetable stock granules that serve as additional flavours.
Sprinkle the mixed herbs in the mixture. Mix all until well combined.
Cook the mixture in a saucepan on a moderate flame for 2 minutes. Stirring occasionally.
Add the garlic, onion and the potatoes.
Cook again for another 2-3 minutes.
Cover the grilled meat with the sauce mixture.
Grilling and Baking Procedure:
Thaw your meat, if needed.
Preheat the grill to 110ºC.
Using your chopping board, place the meat on it and rub it with salt and pepper.
Prepare a cooking dish (Pyrex-glass cooking dish is good), grease it with oil and lay the prepared meat on it.
Place it under the grill for 30 minutes. Turn it over every 15 minutes to grill the other side. While waiting for the meat, prepare the 'sauce mixture' below.
Once the meat is grilled and both sides are cooked, remove from the grill.
Pour the sauce mixture evenly over the meat.
Place it in the oven and BAKE for 10-15 minutes. Adjust the heat to 90ºC.
Once cooked, dish it out of the pyrex-glass and you can use either your choice of traditional food serving bowl or the tomfoolery saucepan to present it on the table.
My train journey heading to Gloucester Road Station was velvety smooth while the weather was refreshingly delightful. Shall I say, the outside ambiance was enlightened with the spirit of Yuletide. When I was heading to the venue, I also had a pleasant walk on the plain concrete pavements while passing by commercial buildings. These were development plots that were once part of the post-war social housing developments and are now defined as “ambiguous landmark buildings”. I have to admit that the whole milieu took me back to the Victorian period and I even wished that I had worn my long flowy dress.
The ambiguous landmark buildings on the left verge of Cromwell Road accompanied me until I reached the corner of Queen's Gate. There it was the main venue of Casilleras Charity's event for a cause, Baden Powell House. A site which was originally purchased by the building committee, chaired by Sir Harold Gillet and was designed by Raplh Tubbs into a modern architectural style building. It was opened in 1961 and underwent several refurbishments over the years and to date, has been providing a modern and affordable home for the members of Scout Association. It also functions as a for hire space to host conferences and events. It is conveniently based in the attractive South Kensington and one of the most affluent areas of the U.K.
Once I had decided to attending the concluding part of Casilleras Charity's event, I contacted directly on social media the head organiser, Jewel Natividad Gagan. I politely requested a reserve admission ticket for myself to be paid in person and also, asked for a seat as near as possible to the stage. Sadly, the latter part of my request wasn't favourably approved as the first 3 front seat rows were allocated for the companions of members of the jury and their sponsors for this year. However, I was advised to arrive on time so that I could find an ideal seat location where I would be able to take pictures without annoying anyone. Yes, I was able to find a good aisle spot on their theatre seating plan by being early, but was very surprised that there was no clear reserved sign for the first 3 front row seats. That is why, numbers of ticket purchasers who were not well informed about the seating arrangements were asked to vacate and find seats somewhere at the back. Actually, only the reserved seats on the right side were properly monitored as these were supervised by a woman.
I was approximately 20 minutes early before the event to start at 18:00...
When I entered the event hall of Baden Powell House, I was greeted by its theatrically arranged chairs; the red carpet-like aisle leading up to the stage; the well set-up music booth and the on-going construction of the stage. Apart from that and as I got closer to the stage, there were spruced-up chairs & embellished tables for members of the jury and a donned table illuminated by tiaras; encased souvenirs; wrapped bottles of Casillero del Diablo wine and the intriguing headphones.
What do you think was the main purpose of the headphones during the entire event? Were they even utilised? Was the main intention to choose the high ranking top 5 candidates and then, they would have the final Q&A round? If it was so, the headphones should have been worn by the awaiting chosen candidates and all their previous accumulated scores were set to zero in order to determine who really had the wit & intelligence and not just the good looks.
Time was ticking and yet there was no indication that the beauty pageant for my fellow transgender women would soon to commence. Yes, they were running out of time and yet they were still beautifying more of the stage by gradually erecting a background and styling it with letters/numbers that read as MISS QUEEN PACIFIC 2017. That is why, a glimpse of the partial candidates were called upon to gather on stage for their final production number rehearsal.
The question was, where are the rest of the candidates? More importantly, where were the members of the jury, without whom could not start at 18:00? Actually, it didn't start at an agreed time as the first wiggly movements of the candidates during their production number was around 19:20. After the engaging production number, we were energised more by Miss Ela Hidalgo's belting and strapping vocal cords.
The stage was then owned by their marvellous masters of the ceremony namely, the voluble Miss Coleen Kacey; the acquiescent Mr. Elijah Paul Villanueva and the articulate Miss Vivienne Melanie Tion Mesias. The three of them detailed the sequence of the night's event and its mechanics; specified the minor, major & special awards; endorsed this year's sponsors; thanked the presence of the invited jury; acknowledged the founder & chairman of Casilleras Charity Organisation UK (CCOUK), Mr. Enly OC Gagan and addressed the honourable guest speaker, Hon. Voltaire Mauricio, First Secretary and Consul of the Philippine Embassy in London, U.K.
(Miss Coleen Kacey, Mr. Elijah Paul Villanueva and Miss Vivienne Melanie Tion Mesias)
The limpid overhead headlights were off and the beaming DJ lights were gradually turned on toward the stage. At the same time, our attention was diverted to the back of the event hall. We saw some members of the charity and secured a passage for the candidates who ostentatiously paraded, one by one, on the aisle wearing their vibrant National Costumes and headed up to the stage for their self introduction. What a grandstand array of guises and ensembles which revealed their love for their chosen countries. The unanimously decided winner for Best in National Costume was Miss Philippines, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo!
Best in National Costume, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo (Miss Philippines)
Miss Chile, Miss Chixy Wilson
Miss Colombia, Miss Iwa Moto
Miss Peru, Miss Tiana Delosata
Miss El Salvador, Miss Jade Phoenix Chua-Hoskins
Miss Philippines, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo
Miss Solomon Islands, Miss Geri Love
Miss Australia, Miss Chezka Mari
Miss Singapore, Miss Mikaella Atay
Miss Costa Rica, Miss Pola Morena- Benfetima
Miss Ecuador, Miss Sophia Frewin
Miss Panama, Miss Nicole Williams
Miss Mexico, Miss Vee Lacsamana
The candidates colourful appearance wearing their intricate and cumbersome national costumes invigorated and cheered us all. After their paralleled exit on stage, we were then occupied by succeeding intermission numbers of Miss Florie May Rapirap and Miss Alexis Mendoza Chiforescu.
The entertainment numbers of the performers were sufficient enough for the candidates to take-off their chunky ensembles and change to something titillating. It was time to flaunt their innate sexiness and enhanced figure by wearing their preferred swimsuit. They appeared one by one on stage with draped cloth around their waist which was inspired by the Miss Universe 2017's Swimsuit competition. Who do you think outrivalled the rest of the candidates when they all showed-off their flat tummies, sexy booties and elongated limbs? The unanimously decided winner for Best in Swimwear was Miss Philippines, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo!
Best in Swimwear, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo (Miss Philippines)
I thought they would all headed back to their cosy and roomy changing room in the basement of the building. However, my supposition was incorrect as the swimsuit round was also in conjunction with the initial Q&A portion of Miss Queen Pacific 2017. What does it entail? The main highlighted sequence of the beauty pageant was to have an initial Q&A portion which would add to the gathered minor scores of the candidates. They were then ranked and whoever would be successfully included on the top 5 will go onto the final Q&A round. If I am not mistaken and on this ultimate part of the beauty pageant, the previous accumulated scores by the top 5 would be set to zero in order to determine who really has the wit & intelligence and not just the good looks. Also, this should have been the segment in which the intriguing headphones were utilised.
Why they did not follow the proposed sequence of Miss Queen Pacific 2017? In my opinion, the long-winded questions (which were read twice for a better comprehension) for the candidates were not necessary as the initial Q&A round is traditionally brief. Generally speaking, it consumed most of the time! As a result, when the closing time of 23:00 drew closer there was a discussion between the supervising employee of Baden Powell House and the organisers of Casirellas Charity.
The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea has been known in London and across the U.K. as a posh and expensive place to live in. The places within its periphery aren't just accessible addresses for small and multi companies. They are also residential homes for upper class and stinkingly wealthy people. They are residents who adhere to the implemented rules & regulations put forward by the council in order to maintain a harmonious and organised neighbourhood. In connection with this, they do not tolerate any unreasonable behaviour which may harm and threaten the peacefulness. Thus, any disobedience like conducting/performing late events either indoor or outdoor has no place in the lexicon of the residents. As a result, any events which interfere and hamper in the peacefulness will be forcefully closed down as stipulated in the black & white permit. Last Saturday, 02nd of December, the first organised beauty pageant for my fellow transgender women by Casirellas Charity and in direct partnership under Starvision UK met with disasters. The adjective “successful” according to the dictionary of Cambridge means “achieving the results wanted or hoped for”. Shall I say, if you have accomplished the planned sequence of the event and fulfilled the desired aim result is when you can actually describe and use the adjective itself.
After the lengthy Q&A portion, we were then shake-up by Ambhie Da Diva's voice. Succeedingly, the stage was then paved way for the inspirational Miss Vicky Lee's speech. The co-founder and host of the oldest Trans Club, The WayOut Club, in the U.K. who has been the greatest pillar in the acknowledgement of “Transpeople” and bringing greater awareness about Transgender people to the wider LGBTQI+ community. According to Miss Vivienne Melanie Tion Mesias' agreeable introduction for Miss Vicky Lee and I quote, 'all transgender women in the U.K. know the name and integrity of our tirelessly inspirational mother!'
(The inspirational Miss Vicky Lee)
The candidates were no longer provocatively exposed when they flourished on stage elegantly wearing their floor- length gowns accentuated with glistening beads and sequins. They graced the stage in a stunningly exquisite manner with an inevitable gaffe from one of the candidates, who level-headedly recomposed her bearing on the spot. The unanimously decided classy winner for Best in Evening Gown was Miss Mexico, Miss Vee Lacsamana!
Best in Evening Gown, Miss Vee Lacsamana (Miss Mexico)
They were all gathered on stage like glimmering dolls and the announcement of the winners of minor and major awards were proclaimed:
Miss Popularity, Miss Tiana Delosata (Miss Peru)
Miss Photogenic, Miss Vee Lacsamana (Miss Mexico)
Miss Congeniality, Miss Tiana Delosata (Miss Peru)
Darling of the Crown, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo (Miss Philippines)
Best in Talent, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo (Miss Philippines)
They were then caressed by the serenading voice of Mr. Dave Hoskins who also exhilarated the lenient crowd. Unexpectedly, there was a problem with the calculations and as a reconstruction, another raffle draw was executed and random lucky winners from the audience were handed over wrapped bottles of Casillero del Diablo wine.
(Mr. Dave Hoskins and the lovely candidates)
It was getting near the closing time allotted for the Casilleras Charity's event. That is why, we were able to witness the unhindered scenario between the organisers and the supervising employee of Baden Powell House who were having a plight. For that reason, the masters of the ceremony mentioned over the microphone the sudden alteration of the main sequence of the event of Miss Queen Pacific 2017.
Ms. Charity, Miss Nicole Williams (Miss Panama) and the people behind Casilleras Charity Organisation UK (CCOUK)
The organisers were getting more agitated and so did some of the ticket purchasers. Because of the beforehand mistakes, (which could have been prevented by starting at 18:00 and shortening the lengthy questions), there was an abrupt modification of the event. The presentation of the special award labelled, Ms. Charity, and the declaration of Miss Queen Pacific 2017's runners-up and title holder were accelerated...
From Left to Right
2nd Runner-up, Miss Pola Morena- Benfetima (Miss Costa Rica)
1st Runner-up, Miss Nicole Williams (Miss Panama)
Miss Wela Dela Vega
Mr. Ronald Husenia
Mr. William Jonas Andrews
Miss Queen Pacific 2017, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo (Miss Philippines)
Companion of Member of the Jury
3rd Runner-up, Miss Sophia Frewin (Miss Ecuador)
4th Runner-up, Miss Vee Lacsamana (Miss Mexico)
4th Runner-up, Miss Vee Lacsamana (Miss Mexico)
3rd Runner-up, Miss Sophia Frewin (Miss Ecuador)
2nd Runner-up, Miss Pola Morena- Benfetima (Miss Costa Rica)
1st Runner-up, Miss Nicole Williams (Miss Panama)
Miss Queen Pacific 2017, Miss Akiko Mae Obillo (Miss Philippines)
I must say that it was a wonderful transgender women beauty pageant for a cause with an ideal venue and top notch masters of the ceremony. However, last Saturday's event met with disasters which could have been avoided if the organisers and event coordinators followed firmly the time allotted. Thus, describing the entire outcome of last Saturday as successful is misinterpretation of the adjective itself and a deception.
If you think that my above raised issues are unjust and have no bearing for veracity, think of the people who commuted far- just to witness Miss Queen Pacific 2017 and only to be rushed out of the event hall at Baden Powell House. May I remind you highly that Miss Queen Pacific 2017 was under the supervision of people who have background knowledge and past experiences in the use of Baden Powell House!
Cooking food at home is my magic wand and they all appreciate everything about it; from the preparation of ingredients to eating together. This is one great reason why I don't buy processed food or indulge myself in buying instant products at the supermarket. It doesn't mean I dislike them!
I have eaten Roasted Chicken that was cooked and bought from the supermarket, in particular, Garlic Roasted Chicken. The taste was really finger licking good; scrumptious!
When I was at the supermarket last time, I bought a whole chicken and challenged myself to cook my own recipe version of Garlic Roasted Chicken.
Sauce Ingredients:
5 cloves of garlic, crashed
2 slices of onion, chopped
3 tbsps. of Wine Vinegar
½ tsp. Ground pepper
2 tsps. of honey
a pinch of mixed herbs
3 stalks of lemon grass, cut each into 2 (ginger is an option)
salt to taste
Sauce Preparation:
Mix the garlic, onion, vinegar and honey in a saucepan. Stir well.
Add the pepper and mixed herbs. Stir well again.
Add and soak the lemon grass in the mixture.
Once all mixed, bring it to the boil for 3 minutes on a moderate heat.
Let it cool for 5 minutes before adding it to your chicken.
Main Ingredient:
A whole chicken (free range, if possible as the extra flavour is worth the money)
Marinating Procedure:
Wash and rinse the chicken.
Prepare a container and lay the meat in it.
Use a spoon to pour the sauce mixture over the meat. Turn-over and do the same.
Cover the container and leave it for a night (marinating process).
After marinating the chicken, don't throw the sauce mixture. Bring it to the boil and use it as a greasing ingredient when roasting the chicken.
Roasting Procedure:
Pre-heat the oven to 180ºC.
Prepare a roasting tray with rack on it and lay the marinated chicken. As we are using an oven, the tray will hold the excess oil while roasting.
Roast it for 50-60 minutes or until golden brown.
Check it every 25-30 minutes and turning it occasionally. Brush the chicken with the boiled sauce mixture.
This is a flavoursome way of roasting a whole chicken and an addtional recipe to be served on the table for your loving family and closests friends this Christmas season as well as the New Year!
Miss Queen Zurich 2017, Miss MCay Xuxu Huber Photo Courtesy of Minerva Mondejar Steiner's Facebook Account
Most of the confirmed contenders flew hundreds miles to reach the largest city in Switzerland for one purpose. A city which is also known as the global centre for banking and finance as well as one of the world's leading insurers, Zurich.
Candidates and Organisers Photo Courtesy of Ava Tour's Facebook Account
The 10 invited willful candidates landed in north-central Switzerland in preparation to flaunting their physical attractiveness; revealing their awe-inspiring self esteem and to promulgate their coherent intelligence on stage. They participated in the EuroTrans beauty pageant which was affiliated with the masquerade theme event of the Starlite Charity. A EuroAsian club based in Zurich, Switzerland with a core mission of raising funds in order to subsidize and support their various yearly virtuous projects.
Sketch Image Courtesy of Miss Queen Zurich 2017's Facebook Page
On the 25th of November this year, a EuroTrans beauty pageant with a benevolent mission took place in Zurich, Switzerland and held at Hilton Hotel Kloten. The 10 admirable candidates competed and were determined to vie for the coveted title of Miss Queen Zurich 2017. Succeedingly, a proud daughter of Davao City (the largest city in terms of land area in the Philippines and sonorous as the Durian capital of the country) who has been living in Vienna, Austria triumphantly engaged and defeated her fellow rivals. Factually speaking, she was a well-accomplished title holder in her town back then who was once trained to compete in many prestigious events around Davao City and its neighbouring regions.
Photo Courtesy of Dahlia Booc Schmuck's Facebook Account
This year's top dog for Miss Queen Zurich has been known to her family and friends as well as recognised by her followers on social media under the name of Mcay XuXu Huber. In addition to this, there were also minor awards recipients who deserved acknowledgement because of their amiable heart to fellow candidates; their effortless natural flair in front of the people; their sophisticated strut during the informal attire and great confidence in exhibiting their feminine figure on stage. Namely, Miss Amanda Roberts of the United Kingdom who received the Miss Congeniality sash for winning the affection of many candidates; Miss Charlene Monteverde of Switzerland who received the Best In Talent as per the unanimous score sheets of the jury and Miss Iwa Moto of the United Kingdom for leading in 2 categories, thus taking home the Best in Casual Wear and the Best in Bikini citations. There was also a special award sobriquet as Darling of the Crowd which was earned by Miss Charlene Monteverde. She was the guests' favourite who invigorated colourfully the formality of the entire event because of her high-spirited personality.
Photo Courtesy of Miss Charlene Monteverde's Facebook Account
The ultimate part of the event was the announcement of runners-up and the winner of Miss Queen Zurich 2017 title. The unanimously declared winner didn't just solely own the stage as it was also corralled by her decorous runners-up...
From Left to Right 2nd Runner-up, Miss Jade Chloe Miss Queen Zurich 2017, Miss MCay Xuxu Huber 1st Runner-up, Miss Iwa Moto 3rd Runner-up, Miss Charlene Monteverde Photo Courtesy of Miss Charlene Monteverde's Facebook Account
Huge congratulations are warranted to the organisers on the effervescent success of its EuroTrans beauty pageant this year. More importantly, a big KUDOS to the altruistic candidates for unconditionally and continuously preserving the golden status quo at heart of the LGBTQI+ community around the world.
