The Ultimate Pinoy Expressions

“Huuy! Ano baaa, sabi mo sabay tayo? BV ka!”

Huy.

Ano ba.

BV.

Sounds familiar?

I often hear these from my friends especially from the girls. These are just some of the expressions that we Filipinos use. We’ve made it a habit of using expressions every time we talk or react. Every time. Even if the word we say doesn’t even make sense. Even if we used the word incorrectly. Although we don’t notice it anymore because we use it every time that it becomes normal to us. There are many expressions which are irritating. I really hate BV. Especially when they say it like “Bee Veeee!” It really hurts my ears. I use expressions too. Like, “grabeee” and “di nga?” There are also times when what we say are just expressions like, “Weh!? Asa! Di nga!?” So anyway, I chose ten expressions Filipinos often use.

Asa- we always use it when we become defensive or whenever we deny something. Example when someone says we like someone our usual reply is “Asa naman!” Which is short for “Umasa ka na lang na magkakagusto ako sa iyo.” Or when someone says that someone likes you and you say, “Di yan. Asa naman” Which is.... so wrong. Although I am also guilty of saying that haha.

Weh di nga? – is what we say when we can’t believe what someone told us. Weh is often said as “weeeeh”. 

BV- or bad vibes is what we say when we get irritated. This is actually like an alternative of “Kainiiis!” Well, both have the same function. Maybe they still wanted to shorten it. 

In fairness – this is often used incorrectly. I admit, I don’t know how to use this. Sometimes I would just comment “In fairness” but it doesn’t really have a connection to what the other person is saying. It’s actually like an insult. For example, “In fairness, ang ganda ng bag niya.” It’s like you’re looking for something positive in a negative person, object, etc.

Astig – which means “tigas” or “tigasin”. Why we always say astig to describe something amazing, well, I don’t really know. This is a very good example of an expression we often use but doesn’t really make sense. I mean, really, whenever we’re amazed we always say “Astiiiig!”

Grabe – this, we often use to exaggerate. Even when the situation is just, well, normal, we still say grabe. “Grabe, hanggang mamaya pang 5 yung klase ko.”

As in/as if – we use this to emphasize. There are times when we use this with grabe. “Grabe, ang pangit niya, as in!”

Dyusko – they say this is blasphemous because it’s a shortened word for “Diyos ko po.” It’s supposed to be a plea for help. Well, in a way, it still is. It’s a plea for patience. Haha. An example is when you’re groupmate made a mistake and ruined your project, you say, “Dyusko namaaaaan, ano bang nangyari?”.

Hala – is used to scare someone. Especially to children. “Halaaa, sige, kapag hindi ka nagpakabait, kukunin ka nung mamang yun!” Now it’s a reaction to when you get surprised, nervous or scared. It’s often used when you forgot something. “Hala! Nakalimutan ko yung assignment ko!”

Imba – or imbalanced. This started from DOTA, they say. Up until now, the meaning is still very vague. We just use it to describe someone who is good at something.

There are still so many expressions that we Filipinos use. It’s actually irritating and funny at the same time how we use these words. But, no matter how silly it may be, it is now becoming a part of our culture. We can either use these or not. It’s our choice. But believe me, sooner or later, you’ll be affected by the people around you, who use them.

No Wine Whines About Pinoy Ultimacy

In today’s generation, drinking alcoholic beverages in age groups, ranging from 16 and above, is not that shocking anymore. Some are even used to this kind of lifestyle – going out every night, carelessly spending their bucks just to fulfill their wants and desires. With as much attention that we give in to this kind of habit, we are diverting our focus to what is supposed to be proper. However, I am favor that drinking would not be as harmful as it is for as long as you can control yourself and for as long as you determine your limitations. Once in a while, we tend to go out with our friends and peers. Bacardi and GSM are two famous brands that we hear when it comes to parties. They are our constant companions. In the midst of the fun that they bring, who will take the lead? Bacardi or GSM?

BACARDI The romance, the danger, the inhumanness, the flavor. The good, the bad and the ugly. Bacardi is the best example of white rum. This drink is a great companion to most mixers and hence, finds its place in many cocktails. Bacardi is definitely the market leader when it comes to white rum. It has also launched premixes sold under the Breezer brand. Bacardi Breezers are low in alcohol content and come in a variety of flavors to woo first time drinkers and appeal to the feminine market. Orange, Lime, Melon, Blueberry and Wild berry are some of the flavors that they offer. They come in different colors to fit in with the cocktail culture.  Furthermore, Bacardi 151 is also an over proofed drink. It has a 75.5% alcohol or 151 proof in contrast to many brands that brings in only 35% - 40% alcohol.

On the other hand, GSM Blue is just like Bacardi, but has lower alcohol percentage. This drinks boasts only 65 proof, which is superbly lower than that of Bacardi. GSM is always present in mixed drinks and that it is “light on the chest” as what its website promotes and talks about. In addition to this, GSM leaves its drinkers without hang-overs as well.

Bacardi and GSM: two drinks that can make your night the happiest, the craziest  or the wildest. Given the actual alcohol percentage present in the two drinks, Bacardi surely takes the lead. Bacardi will be the shining star of the night!

The Ultimate Pinoy Food

Where will you find electable and tempting delicacies? Nowhere else but there in the heart of Asia, Philippines! Philippine foods are distinguished to be strange but unique mixture of eastern and western culture. It is also labeled as bland and mild. This made Filipino dishes more suitable for those with sedate and sensitive taste buds. As with other Asian countries, rice is their staple food and will be served with most meals.

I traveled around the city to search for our “Ultimate Pinoy Food”. I ate at Kamay- Kainan, one of the restaurants that cater proudly Filipino foods and revive the essence of “pagkakamay” in eating.

THE CONTENDERS

Kare-Kare vs. Sinigang

KARE-KARE

 Ingredients:

1/2 kilo beef's oxtail; cut in 3-inch chunks

1/2 kilo beef's tripe; cut in 2-inch x 3-inch

4 pieces eggplant, sliced in 1-inch thick

1 bundle pechay (bok choy); cut into 2 pieces

10 string beans; cut in 2-inch long

1 banana heart (puso ng saging); cut in lengths

2 pieces onions; chopped

2 heads garlic; minced

2 tablespoons annatto (atsuete) seeds

1 cup peanut butter

1/4 cup grounded toasted rice

Salt and pepper to taste

Bagoong alamang

Cooking oil

Water

Fry annatto seeds in 4 tablespoons of oil. Drain annatto oil in bowl and discards seeds.

Boil beef’s oxtail with enough water to cover until tender. Strain oxtail and save broth. Meanwhile, blanch beef's tripe with boiling water and set aside.Using 1 tablespoon of annato oil, sauté garlic and onion in a large saucepan. Add oxtail, saute, and brown all sides, then drop the tripe. Saute again for a while, then add broth just enough to create a sauce. Simmer, then add the vegetables. When tender, add the grounded peanut, toasted ground rice, and the rest of the oil to thicken the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Simmer, then serve hot with bagoong alamang.

Kare kare taste better if the meat is tender. To achieve this, boil the oxtail slowly and gently in low heat. This will bring out the flavor of the meat and keeps the meat tender.

You can also use meat of beef, goat, or chicken.

Kare-kare or kari-kari is a popular Filipino dish especially in the Tagalog region. The Filipino version of the beef stew flavoured and thickened in a peanut - based sauce, with a variety of vegetables. The most common cuts of beef used are tail, shank or face. A combination of the three may be used and most cooks preferred to add tripe. If these are not available you can use round or sirloin cut.

The meat is first tenderized, then sautéed in garlic, bagoong, annatto seeds, and vegetables. Peanut butter is added during the last stages of cooking to thicken the sauce and give the characteristic flavour of the kare-kare.

Most common vegetables used are string beans or snake beans, pechay or baby bachoy, eggplant and banana buds from the banana heart (optional).

Kare-kare is always served with white boil rice and bagoong alamang on the side. Bagoong Alamang is a paste of salted and fermented shrimp fingerlings, it is like a shrimp paste. Bagoong has a strong taste for some people but for me kare - kare is not kare kare if not serve with bagoong.

If green mangoes are available, it will be nice to serve it as a salad.

SINIGANG

Ingredients:

1 kilo fish

2 pieces radish (regular size, sliced)

1 bundle Kangkong (cut into 2" long)

1 bundle sitaw (string beans)

¼ kilo sampalok (tamarind)

3 pieces long green chilli

3 tomatoes (sliced into quarters)

1 onion (diced)

water

salt or patis (to taste)

To soften the tamarind, place in a small casserole or pan together with water and bring to a boil. Mash and have all the juices extracted.

Place the radish, tomatoes, onions, tamarind juice and water in a casserole. Place under medium heat and bring to a boil.

Adjust the fire to low and add the fish, green long chili, string beans, and kangkong. Let it simmer for about 5 minutes.

Use salt or patis for seasoning.

You can place the cooked sinigang na isda in a palayok (pot) and serve hot.

Sinigang is a Filipino soup or stew characterized by its sour flavor most often associated with tamarind (sampalok).Other versions of the dish derive their sourness from ingredients such as guava, calamansi, bilimbi, or raw mango among others.Powdered soup base or bouillon cubes for sinigang based on tamarind or calamondin are also used in place of natural fruits. Vinegar is not used for making sinigang sour. A similar dish made with vinegar as the primary souring ingredient would tend to be categorized as paksiw in Philippine cuisine.

Meat in sinigang (e.g., fish, pork, shrimp, or beef) is often stewed with tamarinds, tomatoes, and onions. Other vegetables commonly used in the making of sinigang include okra, taro corms (gabi), daikon (labanos), water spinach (kangkong), yardlong beans (sitaw) and eggplant (talong). Most Filipinos like to cook sinigang with green finger pepper in order to enhance the taste while adding a little spice to the dish.

A food writer Doreen Fernandez suggested that its origins are most likely indigenous and hence it may be considered the national dish of the Philippines. Nobody knows where and what is the origin of sinigang. Another Ricardo Soleer, caterer, food expert and writer, is the man responsible for bringing to light the origins of kare-kare that saw print on Kitchen Rescue a few years ago said that “Among his favorite Filipino dishes is sinigang, the similarities of which to Thailand’s tom yum, canh chua from Vietnam and Indonesia’s sayur asam are striking enough.

All our foods carry our dignity of being Pinoy. But for all foods that I have tasted, Sinigang captures my taste more. Sinigang is more Pinoy that Kare-kare just like a morena more than a mestiza. There are also many versions of sinigang according to our distinct culture. When you eat sinigang you can proudly say “I am PINOY”.

Fashion really is a Statement

“You'll never get on in politics, dear, with that hat,” Nancy Astor once said to young Shirley Williams who was later minister of education. Wearing a shirt of the Lacoste brand impresses an idea on the beholder that the person wearing the shirt is of high social status, whereas a person wearing of one without brand belongs to the lower class of society. Fashion really is a statement.

            Lacoste, Zara, Chanel, Nike, Levis, Bench, Penshoppe, Folded & Hung, etc., make a list of the shops we every so often see in big-time malls when we go shopping. These are the clothes we usually classify as branded. Of course, these clothing shops cost us a lot more compared to those we refer to as not branded, like most clothes sold in Divisoria. The clothes in Divisoria are much of a bargain, giving us the chance to buy clothes at a low cost. But what’s the advantage of buying your clothes in Divisoria? Or in Malls?

            Divisoria is located in a place crowded with people in Claro M. Recto Street in Tondo, Manila. What reason could justify a type of place such as this? As I’ve mentioned before, the clothes in Divisoria are cheaper and with that, you can buy a lot more. A 500-peso shirt sold in malls is worth two in Divisoria – or more, if you get a discount! You may bargain with the shop assistant to get hold of items at lower price than its label. Also, a lot of good and cool things can be found in Divisoria which are not sold in malls. You may even find imitations of those branded clothes found in malls. If you think branded clothes are not much of a matter, Divisoria is the place for you. But then, cheaper items found here attract a lot of people, making the place crowded. It won’t be easy to move from one stall to another. Some shops are not even air-conditioned, making it a little inconvenient. Also, people used to say that kapag mura, may rason. In view of the fact that the clothes sold in Divisoria are cheaper, its quality cannot be entirely relied on. Still, the inconvenience and the quality pays back on the price and variety of choices and styles that Divisoria has to offer.

            Unlike Divisoria, shopping malls can almost be found anywhere. SM shopping mall, Robinson’s place, Gateway mall, etc., are some of the popular malls here in Manila. If Divisoria has cheaper items, malls have overpriced products. Shirts may range from 300 pesos to 700 pesos and some would even cost a thousand. Also, in contrast with Divisoria, you can’t bargain with the saleslady for a lower price. But at least in shopping malls, you can trust the quality of most products. Shopping malls do give gift certificates for price discounts also. Most malls are also required to have the whole place air-conditioned, making it more convenient for its customers. Malls also have their own security unit making the place safe.

            To sum it all up, buying your clothes in Divisoria is still better. With the clothes in Divisoria, you get to choose more. Though we can’t always count on the quality it has, look on the brighter side, you can always wear something new! After all, Divisoria-sold clothes are cheaper than those that are sold in malls. We just have to remember that it’s not the brand that matters, it’s the way you carry yourself.