Yeah, they are big! They are also trained to entertain. And they do wow the crowds. It’s amazing how they are able to respect their puny trainers and are able to do tricks on cue. Have we really mastered the beast? Or is it the other way around?

What if these mammals are highly evolved that they have trained man to feed them and shelter them for just playing around? Could it be possible that they are cunning enough to pull it off? What we see as a tamed beast is after all a devious creature capable of playing with the intellect of man. If not, what’s stopping these hunters of the sea from eating its trainers should they fail to give in to their whims?

Well, that’s just me…but what if?

To ride on a wild animal capable of eating you whole takes a lot of trust. These mammals are called killer whales because they are capable of killing and they are wired by nature to do so.

Amazing still is the ability of the human species to be able to rewire these killers’ instincts and to command them to do tricks and enter the world of edutainment.

To reduce these “monsters” to cute and lovable creatures takes enormous skill. The intelligence of man is truly marvelous but it is scary. How far can we trust?

It is truly amazing how the human species are able to tame the wildest of mammals. The fellowship with the whales is truly awesome and it does inspire. However, how far should man go in taming the wild?

My daughter, a very impressionable sweetheart, wants to be a marine biologist and dreams of working with these enduring animals. The excitement is seen in her eyes.

There are currently more than six billion people on the planet! This enormous number can be difficult to grasp, especially for a child. But what if we imagine the whole world as a village of just 100 people?In this village

• 22 people speak a Chinese dialect
• 20 earn less than a dollar a day
• 32 are of Christian faith
• 17 cannot read or write
• 39 are under 19 years old

(Source: If the World Were a Village: A Book about the World’s People)

(Source: Ehem!)

Did you know that kamote far exceeds the nutrition and health values of rice? Here are the benefits of substituting rice with kamote:

1. Kamote is more filling and suppresses hunger pangs longer. It is also cheaper than rice.
2. Unlike rice, kamote is so easy to grow. It grows in backyards with or without fertilizers. Local government executives can provide their poor communities with idle government land for planting kamote which the entire community can share.
3. Unlike rice which needs to be eaten with a dish, kamote tastes good and can be eaten by itself. Thus, substituting rice with kamote saves money for other needs.
4. Rice cannot match the nutritional values of kamote. Because rice converts to sugar in the body, the Philippines registers as a top producer of diabetics in the world (see related story). The poor tends to load up on rice and less on the dish which are more expensive. That makes them vulnerable to diabetes, an ailment known in developed countries as a rich man’s disease.
5. The nutritional values of a 3 oz baked kamote are: calories 90, fat 0 g, saturated fat 0 g, cholesterol 0 mg, carbohydrate 21 g, protein 2 g, dietary fiber 3 g, sodium 36 mg, vitamin A 19,218 IU, folic acid 6 micrograms, pantothenic acid 1 mg, vitamin B6 <1 mg, vitamin C 20 mg, vitamin E 1 mg, calcium 38 mg, manganese 1 mg, carotenoids 11,552 mcg, potassium 475 mg and magnesium 45 mg. Compare that to a 100 g serving of white rice with: calories 361 kcal, water 10.2 g, total fat 0.8 g, dietary fiber 0.6 g, calcium 8 mg, phosphorous 87 mg, potassium 111 mg, sodium 31 mg, vitamin B1 0.07 mg, vitamin B2 0.02 mg, niacin 1.8 g, protein 6 g and carbohydrates 82 g.
6. Too much rice consumption can make you sick but kamote can bring you to health and keep away some health problems. These have been proved medically.

In a medical documentary I watched recently on KBS World (the South
Korean TV Network), I was awed by the results of the research the Koreans conducted on the nutritional and medicinal benefits of kamote (which they refer to as sweet potato).

In that Korean medical documentary I watched (which I followed through the English subtitles), they presented the research findings on people with established health problems who were placed on a kamote/sweet potato diet.

Believe it or not - kamote lowers hypertension, bad cholesterol and even blood sugar when eaten as SUBSTITUTE TO RICE! The purple sweet potato (kamote) is particularly effective for lowering hypertension.

Not only that, the Korean medical documentary credits the sweet potato (kamote) as high fiber and is one of the best foods that one can eat to prevent cancer!

For those who are only impressed by US doctors, read this: the North Carolina Stroke Association, American Cancer Society, and the American Heart Association have all endorsed the sweet potato for its disease prevention and healing qualities.

The Americans, the South Koreans - both progressive nations - have
raised the kamote to a high pedestal. Many of them even call the kamote a “super food that heals.”

And just how do we Filipinos regard the kamote? Remember how we like
to call a loser as one who is nangangamote (Filipino term for lagging behind)?

Truly, unless we unlearn many things, we will, as a nation, always be nangangamote.

Seal, originally uploaded by digital.chain.

Here’s a closer look…just in case you missed it. Again.

Finally, here we are at the famous Sea World in San Diego, CA!

Our first stop was at the seal cage. Well, it’s not a cage for seals but an enclosure. For a few bucks you can feed them with dead fish. There’s a stand that sells them. I’m not sure what Pajo is thinking because he’s in deep thought. In the meanwhile, the two girls (Teng and Thea) smile for the camera.

There’s a seal in the picture, too. Just in case you missed it.

If you google home mortgage you’ll come up with about 23,800,000 results. That’s a lot of information to go through. If you’re out there shopping for a home, especially during these times, there might be some good deals. Or, if you just want to know what are the mortgage rates offered by lenders. But the dilemma of these all is the HOW.

Well, if you’re like me you’d like to do a lot of digging -researching and studying everything there is to know about home buying. The internet is a great place to start. At the moment we are renting and a few friends have offered a few homes for sale. It did cross our minds - rent or buy?

Wouldn’t it be helpful, also, if you can find out how much you can afford should you want to start the buying process.  Here’s an affordability calculator you can use.

There are a lot of information you can get from this site on mortgages. Check it out. Who knows, you might be well on your way to buying your dream home.  Good luck!

For us, we were advised to wait it out for a few months.

According to Wikipedia the first ceiling fan appeared in the 1860s in the U.S. They were not powered by any form of electric motor but relied on a stream of running water in conjunction with a turbine, to drive a system of belts which would turn the blades of the fan units. These systems could accommodate several fan units, and  became popular in stores, restaurants, and offices.

These systems are still available today, and can be found at ferreys.com. But, of course, they are now electric driven.

But if you want to spruce up your son’s room for the summer, there are other designs you can use. I like the aviation theme - like a dive bomber ready to deliver its payload . It’s fun to look at. Here’s a World War II plane and you can buy this at Farrey’s

But if you want to add that elegant touch to your dream home you can opt to put in that classical ceiling fan that will tell your visitors that you spared nothing to show how proud you are of your home.  You can shop by brand, style or characteristic. Just to name a few - casa blanca fan,  fanimation, modern ceiling fan.

Ceiling fans are ubiquitous but more importantly is how it fits your standards and application. Check out their line of ceiling fans here.

June 17, 2008 - I learned about Sea World from my mother when she and my father visited the US more than a decade ago. She bought home a small Shamu stuff toy for Pajo. She told us that it was a beautiful place to visit and if we get the chance to make it a point to drop by.

Well, after a year of staying here in the US we did get that chance. Teng was able to get a seven day vacation leave from the hectic world of nursing. We did the planning and the plotting and all booking and all the stuff needed to be able to reach the place.

From Bakersfield to San Diego - 232 mi – about 3 hours 50 mins

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So off we went to our Sea World Adventure! But before we reached Sea World we had a pleasant visit with family down in Yukaipa, CA.