Let's play a game of WHATs

Let's play a game of Whats.  It's very simple.  I've prepared three questions, all inspired by the book Eat Pray Love, beginning with the question word 'What'.  It starts with the very simple question "What's your favorite gelato flavor?".  The next 2 however won't be that easy.  I'll share my views and I hope to hear from you as well.  Let me just warn you in advance that this post has the potential of becoming as long as my previous post After Omphaloskepsis. Life's a Charm, you have been forewarned. (^o^)v  I promise to keep it short and simple though in the spirit of the Italian expression "Parla Come Mangi".

Let's Play! (Continue Reading to play)

What's your favorite Gelato flavor?

I love Gelato!  It's one of my favorite desserts.  Elizabeth Gilbert, author of the book Eat Pray Love, must have loved it too - when she was in Rome she ate Gelato all day long!  My favorite flavors are Pistaccio, Chocolate Mint, and Chili Chocolate!      

Personally, I find the Pistaccio flavored gelatos being offered by gelato shops here in the Philippines not come up to par with the one I tasted back in Rome (2006).  I don't know if it's because of the quality of the ingredients, the originality, or simply because it was the first gelato I tasted.  Regardless, every time Pistaccio is available, I am almost certain I would order it.

Chocolate Mint, on the other hand, is good anywhere in the world (Rome, Australia, Philippines)!  If you want something that would never fail to satisfy your taste buds, order this.  Chocolate and mint just goes very well.  

And if you haven't tried it yet, chocolate also goes very well with chili! (Just don't overdo the chili and make sure the spiciness is well blended into the mixture. Put a dash in your next cup of hot choco, you'll love it.)  And when I was in Greenbelt 5 (Manila) last month, I found Chili Chocolate as one of Gelatissimo's offering.  I wasn't disappointed.  I have yet to find any other gelato shop that carry this flavor.  I'm not sure though if it's a regular offering.  Surprisingly, there's more Gelatissimo outlets in Cebu!  Two to be exact.  One in SM City Cebu and one in Ayala Center.  And not so surprisingly, there's none in Davao.  If you're in Davao, the next best thing would probably be to go to Crepelato in Mayon St.

What do you think?

It was a friend who brought up this topic a few years back and I didn't believe it at all back then.  I was (so naive and was) for bringing a child into this world to allow it to experience LIFE. (Understandably, that was when my life seemed perfect - not too far back) However, as the years progressed, I'm starting to believe it more myself.  Do parents bear children more for selfish reasons - meaning for their own sake - rather than anything else? What do you think?

Elizabeth Gilbert wrote "I think people have children for all manners of reasons - sometimes out of a pure desire to nurture and witness life, sometimes out of an absence of choice, sometimes in order to hold on to a partner or create an heir, sometimes without thinking about it in any particular way.  Not all the reasons to have children are the same, and not all of them are necessarily unselfish.  Not all the reasons not to have children are the same, either, though."

Richard Fish, lawyer played by actor Greg Germann in famous TV series Ally McBeal, had this to say - "Having a child is a selfish thing.  Couples don't walk around wanting to give life.  They say 'we want a child, .. we want, we want."  It's a selfish thing.  Not that it's a good selfish but it's selfish."

What's your WORD?

And finally, we come to the last 'what' question 'What's your word?'.  One of the Italians that Liz met in her travels suggested something like every city and every person having a word.  A city's word is what majority of the people living in that city are thinking about and it supposedly defines that city.  While a person's word is what defines that person - how that person thinks.  And the catch is, for someone to belong - to feel at home - in a particular city, that person has to have the same word as the city.  

Rome's word is supposedly "SEX", the Vatican's is "POWER", Naples' is "FIGHT", New York's is "ACHIEVE", Los Angeles's is "SUCCEED", and Stockholm's is "CONFORM." 

When I was studying in UP Diliman (Quezon City), I would say the word that time inside the campus was "EXCEL."  Although I stayed in Makati City just recently for a month, I still don't have a clue as to what the city's word really is.  It must be because most people actually just go there to work, to shop, or to enjoy.  People from different cities therefore come and go, bringing with them different words in the process .... perhaps "BUSINESS?" / "WORK?" / "VARIETY?" / "LUXURY?" - Let me think about it more.  

In my 3 years in Cebu I would say the word is "IDENTITY."  Cebuanos are a mix culture of different identities from the affluent mestizos to the not-so-underground bisdak society.  What I love about them is their strong sense of identity and their pride as Cebuanos.  And being not afraid to express all that.  

In my 4 years in Sapporo City, or in Japan generally, I would say the word is "CAREFUL" or "RESPECT."  Everybody there seemed to walk while thinking all along not to bump anyone, not to step on anyone's toes, or even simply not to talk or approach anyone you don't know.  Voices even have to be kept at a low volume so as not to disturb anybody who might be nearby.  Would you believe it when I say that one of my Jap colleague refused to recline his airline seat simply because somebody was seated behind him? And did you notice how they can expertly fold their newspaper so as it doesn't invade the space of the passenger seated next to them?  Unbelievable.  The only exceptions to this are probably the Yakuza-like individuals.  

If you ask me, I think Davao's word is "OBEY." (or maybe "ORDERLY")  Most, if not all, Dabawenyos are law-abiding.  Alcohol curfew is strictly followed at 2am.  It is not even uncommon, although becoming rare, to find a jeepney driver who's willing to give way in traffic.  And the epitome of it all is the Kadayawan festival.  Just watch the parade tomorrow and you'll see what I mean.  Street dancing participants are widely spaced out while onlookers are cordoned off way to the side.  It just doesn't have the same feel as the Sinulog festival of Cebu.  It's as if the city is not celebrating a festival at all.  But I do love Davao.

          

Now, I'm conflicted.  I still have yet to find my word but it certainly isn't "OBEY."

And Oh! Happy Kadayawan! And I know I should just have written 3 different posts! hehehe         

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