I got a  bag from Love Pink in mint condition for only 250php at an ukay ukay. Is it a deal or steal? Neither! Because it is both.

 These are some of the cute puppies being sold beneath the underpass at Robinsons.

 Colorful dried bakawan or mangrove twigs. These are often used as christmas trees and when paired with Christmas lights and other decorations, it looks absolutely fabulous.
 Parols.
 Flowers. A whole street of them.
 Lots of people were crowding over this cart. My bestfriend Waw and I were really interested.
 A closer look at the shells. Can you now tell the species and genus?
 Wawaw modeling the different handicrafts.
 Lamps made from Capiz shells.
 Dyed Capiz wind chime.

 Simon mesmerized.
 Another parol.

 Emma and Simon trying to figure out the number of weaving done on this basket.
 Parols made from tin foils.

 These are the folk medicines sold on the street.
 Waw and I can't resist to take a bite of this fare. So the next time we encountered a food cart selling shells, we bought one for 5php and we loved it!
 Hohoho at Gaisano.
Sharpening your tools the old fashion way. This is a good exercise!

When Dante came back from his exhibit, he bought us some kawaii nail art stickers. So last night we went on a nail polish hunt. I found this cute aquamarine from Miss Beauty at 578. It costs 39.99 php. That is almost 1usd.  I have another one in cherry red. So far this is my favorite nail polish brand. It has a matte color and smells really good even a day after. It also doesn't chip easily unlike the local brands.

It says on the label that it is a "Sanding Fruit Extract Nail Polish".

The label at the back says,"Adopts latest sanding fruit formula color is even, beauty color lasts long, also moisten your nails. Magic sanding effect, lets your nails unique and attractive." It also say,s" pro environment nail polish, no toulene, formaldehyde, acetone, DBP etc. 100% health." (Don't complain about the grammar guys. That's how all Chinese labels are written.) 

I woke Yumi up to take this pic. She complained that there is no regular pattern in her nail art but never the less, she still loved it.
This is me cam whoring. I was trying to make one of those cute Asian poses but morena me can't rock it.
Here's a closer look at my nails but my hands are awkwardly posed here.
 An even closer look...
So that's it guys!
Vamoose!
Ma.Diwata

Battling cancer is itself a big challenge. just the thought itself seeps you of energy. How much more living with the side effects of chemotherapy and radiation?

I find Chiz masyadong showbiz. He guesting for Kris just proves my point.
I recently read from Philippines Election Journal that he hasn't authored and passed laws in the Senate for the entire duration of his service. Is this really true? He is a good lawayer so what is stopping him from making one.

It seems like he is the author of Senate Bill 2817 or the Enforced Disappearance Bill. He also authored SB 3288 which repealed Section 4 of the Cyber Crime Law.

He seems honest when it comes to interviews done either on air or online. I know I will still vote for him next year. Will you?

Just recently I was browsing through the racks at a pharmacy and I was wondering why there was a proliferation of drugs with a generic name that includes caffeine. The last time that I took up pharmacology and had my tour of duty, this was not part of the things I needed to memorize for my revalida.

Here in the Philippines, paracetamol, ibuprofen, mefenamic acid and aspirin are the most common antidote for headaches and pains. Then you pair this with betet, Vick's or White Flower. Whichever floats your boat.

When I saw an article about Saridon written by Janette Toral, I got curious. Turns out Saridon contains 250 mg Paracetamol, 150 mg Propyphenazone and 50 mg Caffeine more specifically Saridon is the most potent headache or migraine reliever around. It claims to rid you of your pain in just 15 minutes!

Propyphenazone is the first substance to be activated. This gives an immediate analgesic effect. The paracetamol prolongs its efficacy while caffeine increases its potency since it is a natural analgesic. Not only is it used as an analgesic, it is also a muscle relaxant and antipyretic.

The original formula for Saridon contained a phenacetin, a carcinogenic or cancer causing substance. A component of this was Propyphenazone. It is an NSAID or a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory  drug like aspirin. So if taken excessively can cause bleeding. Since this is an over the counter drug, only a few people know about this fact. This is also contraindicated for ages 12 years old and below. Paracetamol is also hepatotoxic. This can cause liver damage when used in excess or when paired with alchohol.

There have been documented reports by medical watchdogs of how toxic this drug can be but if you do an online search you will only find diziness, shortness of breath and fainting as one of its side effects. Is there more that we don't know of?

Another controversy that surrounds this drug is its prevalent use in our country despite other nations banning it. If other countries are banning the use of this drug why is the Philippines actively promoting it? It is also interesting to note that this product was initially actively promoted, distributed and sold in Visayas and Mindanao. Why is it not being sold in Luzon? Are we here in the Visayas and Mindanao their guinea pigs? Are they testing us without our knowledge? Where is the morality in all these?

Another issue with this drug is Bayers lack of information and internet presence of this drug, except of course  the negative ones. DOH,BFAD and Bayer has the social responsibility of informing us, the consuming public of the results of clinical trials done on this drug.

What is the government doing about Saridon?



Just imagine all the trouble it will cause if you buy this drug without knowing these facts.  It is just right that this  product from Bayer be banned from the market.

I'm a big fan of Nivea Care soap until one dayit ran out of of stock. I was forced to look for alternatives. I chanced upon FRES and Natural Soap. For only 12 pesos compared to the 40php Nivea soap, I simply can't resist it!

So here are all the drawings I did since I joined Urban Sketchers. It's not a lot but I believe that drawing can either be a talent or a skill. So I know that with frequent practice I could get better and develop my own technique. Hahahahha! Let's see about that but so far, I am now hooked on "on location" sketches.