Chowking Congee

Chowking. Love ko 'to! (I love this!). This is the look I did for the Chowking Hong Kong Style Congee re-launch. The print material that gave kudos to this humble petite Art Director by the CEO of GASSO, Nonoy Gallardo. That was my shining moment. I will miss the man. I will do a blog especially made for this genius who gave me a lot of "pabaon" to wherever I'm going. His wisdom and teachings made me a better and stronger creative person. I'm going to a new battlefield and the things I've learned from Mr. G is something I didn't learn from where I came from before.

The TVC ad that is currently airing is part of my shining moment. I was possessed when I presented this board. I acted more than I could imagine. I delivered more than anyone expected. Everyone was left in awe. From the conceptualization of big ideas up to execution of concept boards, I played a major part. The day came when the final story was stitched and the storyboard I entitled "Techies" is now playing on air.

Just to share with all of you the immediate results after one week of airing this advertising materials: 211% increase in Peso sales (from P1,349/day/store to P4,197/day/store)

Butter Tarts

Canadian Butter Tarts

For my Canadian man

A truly Canadian food only found in Canada . Its recipe can be traced back at least one hundred years. It really is Canadian food .I have never been to Canada but I was lucky enough to find myself Canadian man a year and a half ago. He gave me a cookbook (the canadian cookbook History and folklore and recipes with a twist By Jennifer Olge) of Canadian recipes and this was one of them. If you have an oven this is a really great and cheap way to impress your Canadian friends.
It is really good eats.
You will need to make a Pastry
For the pastry you need 2 cups of flour 1 cup of frozen butter 2 table spoons of sugar pinch of salt dash of lemon juice half a cup of ice cold water
Mix together the dry ingredients
Grate the butter and mix in by hand
Add the lemon juice and the water (only adding as much water as needed )
Let sit in the refrigerator for 30 mins

FOR THE FILLING YOU WILL NEED
1 cup of brown sugar (I substitute half of this for maple syrup sometimes ) Dash of cider vinegar 1 tea spoon of vanilla extract 2 eggs 1 cup of corn syrup half a cup of melted butter
Add the brown sugar, cider vinegar, vanilla, eggs and syrup together.
Slowly add the butter.
Roll the pastry into a thin sheet
Cut out pie shells
Heat the oven to 220 c
Now you can choose to add and extra filling if you like Pecan nuts , Walnuts , Raisins or toasted coconut. My favourite is walnuts but I love the smell of coconut.
Place a little of the chosen filling in the tart shell before adding the liquid filling.
Cook for 15 mins they should be gooey if you don't like gooey then cook for a little longer.

Food Festival Comming Up in Jeollanam-do

Namdo Food Festival (남도음식문화큰잔치)
* October 9th to 13th
* Another of the province's biggest and most popular. This one is held at the Nagan Folk Village, which is worth a visit in and of itself.
* Official site.

Gwangju Kimchi Festival (광주김치대축제)
* October 15th to 19th
* Official site

Gwangyang Char-broiled Meat Festival (광양숯불구이축제)
* October
more information

Mokpo Hairtail Festival (은빛갈치축제)
* October 3rd and 4th
* Information from the Mokpo city page, in Korean.

2008 Gwangju Biennale (광주비엔날레)Not a food Festival but for all you art lovers this is a not to be missed event. I really do suggest you take two day to fully get round it and have the most comfort.
* September 5th to November 9th
http://www.gwangju-biennale.org/2008gb/eng/index.asp

For more check out Brian in Jeollanam-do

Jonathan Trager

For those people who sent me texts and emails, asking me who is My Jonathan Trager. He's a character in the movie "SERENDIPITY" played by my favorite actor John Cusack. In reality, I'm still looking for a real one. My Fatum.


Jonathan Trager's Obituary
Prominent television producer for ESPN, died last night from complications of losing his soul mate and his fiancee. He was 35 years old. Soft-spoken and obsessive, Trager never looked the part of a hopeless romantic. But, in the final days of his life, he revealed an unknown side of his psyche. This hidden quasi-Jungian persona surfaced during the Agatha Christie-like pursuit of his long reputed soul mate, a woman whom he only spent a few precious hours with. Sadly, the protracted search ended late Saturday night in complete and utter failure. Yet even in certain defeat, the courageous Trager secretly clung to the belief that life is not merely a series of meaningless accidents or coincidences. Uh-uh. But rather, its a tapestry of events that culminate in an exquisite, sublime plan. Asked about the loss of his dear friend, Dean Kansky, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author and executive editor of the New York Times, described Jonathan as a changed man in the last days of his life. "Things were clearer for him," Kansky noted. Ultimately Jonathan concluded that if we are to live life in harmony with the universe, we must all possess a powerful faith in what the ancients used to call "fatum", what we currently refer to as destiny.

Squash Soup

Curried Squash Soup

1 Squash

1 Carrot 

1 Red pepper 

half a big onion

Chicken stock 

Salt and pepper 

2 Tea spoons of curry powder 

Nudos y Efectos Mariposa.

Su madre siempre le contaba cuando era pequeña que el abuelo había sido marinero de joven, y por eso era capaz de realizar tantos nudos como imaginara, para atar cualquier cosa. También le contaba que, en sus años de marino, tuvo que enfrentarse a muchas tormentas tropicales mientras navegaba alrededor del mundo; y que muchas de esas tormentas habían sido provocadas por el simple aleteo de una mariposa. Así, con tan sólo 5 años, tuvo su primer contacto con una simplificada Teoría del Caos.

Con el paso de los años se preguntó si su abuelo era también capaz de realizar nudos con las entrañas de las personas, porque si era así, ella quería aprender a hacerlos... no se explicaba otra forma de llevar a cabo su venganza contra todos ellos, que anudaban su estómago sin ton ni son, removiendo su mundo, poniéndolo boca abajo, boca arriba... sintiendo náuseas al verlos aparecer. Uno tras otro se lo había hecho, y al final siempre tenía que introducir sus manos dentro de sí misma para deshacer en entuerto, la devastación.

Y mientras, el batir de las alas de la mariposa la seguía allá donde fuera, rememorando las palabras oídas en su infancia..."el aleteo de las alas de una mariposa se puede sentir al otro lado del mundo"... ella trataba de hacerse oír, bien fuerte, para que en el otro lado del mundo la oyeran bien fuerte... ¿pero era allí donde la debían de oír?
Fe y esperanza en el Efecto Mariposa. Esperaba impaciente el Maelstorm, el torbellino... la tempestad.