Revival

I can't believe it! Has it really been THAT long since I last blogged? Well, it has been two years, six months and three days to be exact since my last blog post. WOW! Just W to the O-W wow!

Anyway, I'm back! Expect fresh content from yours truly in the coming days. I'm just in the process of listing down the topics I want to write about and I'm also going to fix my blogging schedule since I'm planning to open a couple more blog sites about two different topics.

So, allow me to leave now so I can work on my topic list. See ya again soon!

In the meanwhile, let me share with you a lyric video of Selena Gomez' song called Revival. I feel like I've just been revived after all these years plus I'm a fan of Selena so yeah. Enjoy!

My Good Friday Flashbacks

WARNING: Some photos may be disturbing for you so read at your own risk.

I could not help but get nostalgic today because I am sorely missing my home country during this time of the year, the Holy Week. So I've decided to check my photo archives and voila! I found my Holy Week snaps back in 2008 using just my mobile phone.

If you still do not know where I am from, let me tell you that I am from the country that is made up of 7, 107 islands called Philippines. It is located in South East Asia along with Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and a few more countries.

If I am not mistaken, we are the only Christian country in that region and being a nation with majority of its people as Christians, Holy Week is one of the most important events that we celebrate. Basically, the Holy Week commemorates the last few moments of Christ before His resurrection or what is more known as Easter.

Mamusan Krus Magdarame

Magpalaspas Magdarame

Mamusan Krus Magdarame without their crosses

In the Philippines, there are Holy Week traditions that Christians religiously observe during this time of the year. For example, in Pampanga, my beloved hometown, Catholic devotees would have their Pabasa / Pabasa ng Pasyon (Reading of the Passion). This is a popular Holy Week ritual wherein devotees will chant the life, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ thru a narrative that is composed of carefully selected words to fit the eight syllables per stanza requirement. Everyone is welcome to chant during the Pabasa and I have had my own chanting experiences.

Our Puni back in 2008

Our puni has been using the same Pabasa Bible ever since I could remember!

Our Pabasa handwritten in Capampangan

Anyway, aside from the Pabasa, penitence rituals is another famous Holy Week tradition in Pampanga. Catholic penitents believe that one of the ways to repent for their sins is to experience what Christ had experience before He was crucified. Some penitents or magdarame in Capampangan (a local Pampanga dialect) would carry a huge wooden cross just like what Christ had carried and walk their way to every puni (a makeshift area where Pabasa is being held) and church that they can visit usually barefoot. These penitents are called mamusan krus (in Capampangan) / nagpapasan ng krus (in Filipino). Another kind of penitents are those who self-flagellate known as magpalaspas (in Capampangan) or nagpapalaspas (in Filipino). Their backs are deliberately wounded so they'll start bleeding and then these flagellants would start hitting their bleeding backs with their palaspas (a whip with a bunch of wooden sticks in the end). There are also those called magsalibatbat (in Capampangan) who crawl their way to the puni or church. Lastly, there are those penitents who get themselves nailed on the cross during Good Friday. They are called kristos.

 

 

In our street where we have our very own puni, the penitents who visit are those from the first three kinds. We do not have the kristos because those penitents are usually found in Cutud, San Fernando, Pampanga. It gets flocked by local and even foreign tourists during Good Friday to see penitents get nailed on the cross.

Station of The Cross Procession

Devotees joining the Station of the Cross Procession

Children at night waiting for more magdarames.

The children are the barkers whenever there's a magdarame coming so that the people in the puni will start the special Pabasa chant for magdarames.

Since today is Good Friday and I cannot feel its presence here at our current "home away from home", I could not help but get sentimental. It is because aside from the spiritual and religious aspect of this day, being together with my family and watching movies like The Ten Commandments and eating mader's sweet dish are what make my Holy Week truly special.

Okay, I am officially SUPER homesick right now. Somebody take me to the Philippines please!

Still Alive and Very Much Kicking!

Hear ye! Hear ye!

Ankamil Yepuda is still alive and very much kicking!

See? I'm still here!!!

My apologies for the lack of posts for the past few weeks. I got tied up with some very important personal matters hence my absence in the online world. Anyways, I'm back and have already lined up a number of posts that I will be publishing in the coming days so watch out for them.

In order to really make up for my absence, I'll be sharing with you guys a couple of awesome places that you can include in your must visit bucket list, food trip ideas and some simple but awesome recipes for a healthier you. I hope that you will enjoy and even get a few tips from them once they are up.

Also, for those who have read about my monthly challenges, you may be asking now, "Whatever happened to your March challenge and why have you not shared with us your April challenge til now?". Worry no more because I have a separate post for that which will be published next after this one.

So yeah, I hope you guys had a great weekend! It's getting warmer and warmer here where we are currently staying at. If only there's a nearby beach here that we can visit and soak ourselves in. In my homeland, the Philippines, this is that time of the year wherein it is all about hitting the waters! Oh well...

Take me back to the waters pretty please!!!

What about you? Do you have an upcoming summer getaway? Or do you have a spring break plan?

Well, whatever your plan is, just don't forget to slather some sunscreen lotion on your skin specially your face before heading out!

Have an awesome Spring Break or Summer Vacation (depends on what part of the planet you're from) y'all!

Did You Know Your DSLR Has a Shutter Count Limit?

I was chatting with a couple of friends on Facebook this morning when one of them shared with us that she wasn't able to take plenty of pictures during her getaway because her camera was acting funny. And while she was on the topic of dirty and broken cameras, she also shared with us that she found out that DSLRs have a maximum shutter actuation or in layman's term, maximum number of times you can press the shutter.

I was shocked to find out about it because I thought digital cameras can take unlimited shots but yeah, if I really think about it now, it also makes sense that an electronic gadget (no matter what it may be) has an average lifespan so it's just up to the owner/user how he'll maximize his baby and at the same time prolong its lifespan.

 

I assume your question now is "So what is the maximum number of shots that I can take with my DSLR?" The answer to that is it actually depends on the brand and the model of your camera. You can google more about this but based on the stuff I've read online, a Nikon D5100 has 100,000 for its maximum shutter actuation. Babs' DSLR is a Nikon D5100. Actually, I think most "beginners type" of Nikon DSLRs are under the 100k mark which is quite plenty already if you ask me unless you take about 1,000 pictures everyday.

So how do you find out what is your DSLR's current shutter count? If you are using a Nikon camera, I can help you with that. I went to a website called Nikon Shutter Count and uploaded the latest photo that was taken from the D5100 and the result it provided was something really close to my estimate. Our DSLR has taken 9,346 shots as of date and Babs bought it last Feburary 2012. Not bad I say. Not bad.

For those who are using non-Nikon DSLRs, there are websites and software/apps that can help you determine your gadget's current shutter count. You can google them without a sweat. I just do not want to suggest them directly here because I have not tried them myself.

Now, your follow up question might be something like "so what if I reach the limit, what will happen to my camera?" Based on my research (this means consulting Google), people have several answers but more often than not, their responses were similar with each other. First of all, the maximum shutter actuation was the estimated average lifespan of a DSLR set by the manufacturer. This means that your camera may or may not reach its limit. There were people saying that they have exceeded their maximum shutter count and their cameras are still firing away awesome photos. There were also those who did not even make it to the limit and their units have gone kaput. So basically, it all boils down on how you use your camera, how well you take good care/maintain it and yes, plenty of good luck.

Go ahead! Continue taking plenty of pictures because your camera may die any time but the memories it captures will live forever!

My First Ever Butter Naan!

If you have been reading my posts for some time now, you have probably read about my monthly goals for self improvement. For this month, one of my goals is to learn how to cook at least 2 Indian dishes. And as of this moment, I am happy to say that I have already accomplished that goal.

One of the dishes I was able to cook to meet my goal was butter naan. I personally like it better than roti. In fact, I like butter naan so much better that I can eat it on its own. So without further ado, let me share with you guys my first ever butter naan!

Puffing is a good sign of cooking your naan (or even roti) right.

Typically, yeast is one of the ingredients when making naan. I did not have that handy so I googled the web for a recipe that does not call for yeast. I tweaked the recipe a bit so continue scrolling below to know more about it.

Butter Naan Ingredients

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/2 cup warm/room temperature milk
• 1/2 cup sweet yogurt/curd
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• a pinch of baking soda
• 2 tbsp butter

Procedure

1. Sift all purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a container.
2. Create a well at the center of the sifted ingredients and pour in the milk and sweet yogurt in the "well".
3. Slowly fold in the dry ingredients to the wet (milk and yogurt) until a soft dough has formed.
4. Let the soft dough sit for two hours.
5. After two hours, knead the dough for about three minutes then start pinching a good portion of the dough, about the size of a golf ball then roll it on a dusted flat surface.
6. After rolling, wet one side of the dough using your hand and put it on an iron pan under medium heat (Indians call it "tawa") wet side down and then cover it with a lid.
7. After about two to three minutes, remove the naan from the iron pan and cook the other side straight to the flame using a hand held griller for about thirty seconds under low heat.
8. Once done, put the naan on a plate and brush it with butter.

My first ever butter naan!

As you can see on the photo above, my first ever butter naan kind of failed because while it was on its final stage of cooking (the hand held grill part), it took some time for me to capture the image so you can see some burnt portions. Nevertheless, it tasted fine. Not really the way I imagined it to be, maybe because I didn't use yeast, so it was not as light and airy as the ones I had from the hotel where Babs and I stayed before moving in to our new apartment. But overall, for a first timer, I think I did fine and Babs actually gave me an 8/10 rating and he is not the type to lie about my cooking just to make me feel good. Hihihi!

Yay! Cooked the rest of them perfectly. I guess. Haha!

So what dish did I cook to match my butter naan with? Find out tomorrow! It's also an Indian dish and a favorite in our household!

Enjoy the rest of your day guys wherever part of the globe you may be!

My DIY Bookshelf Project

I am a fan of DIY projects and that is why I love Pinterest so much. I think almost any kind of project you are looking for, may it be a DIY drawer or how to decorate a dull wall on your own, you will find inspiration in Pinterest.

Last December, we (Babs and I) moved out from New Delhi and transferred to Jarkhand, another state in India. We really didn't plan on bringing with us our book collection since they are a lot and well, we didn't wanna include buying a bookshelf in our to-buy list.

However, when our stuff from New Delhi finally arrived at our new location, we found out that my father-in-law actually also let the packer and mover company ship our book collection! Hahaha!

And since buying a new bookshelf will be very impractical because we don't really plan on staying in this place for a long time, I've decided to consult Pinterest for some suggestions on DIY bookshelf. I was so thrilled when I saw how creative people recycled some old stuff or even junk from their own homes and made those stuff into one of a kind awesome bookshelves!

Photo Credits: www.pinterest.com

I immediately surveyed all the stuff that we have and my eyes darted at the pallet that the packer and mover company used for our flat screen tv. I knew that was what I needed! I checked the entire pallet and removed just a couple of planks that were nailed diagonally on both sides of the pallet (I assumed it was for extra protection) and removed a few splinter prone / husk like stuff that were sticking out from the edges of the planks and that was it!

This is my main peg for my very own DIY bookshelf. Photo Credits: www.pinterest.com

Check out the finished product below. Oh by the way, the picture was taken during the holidays hence our Christmas tree in the background. Haha!

Presenting my very own DIY bookshelf! Mission accomplished!

So wachuthink about my DIY bookshelf project? I didn't bother painting the pallet because I want it to look as raw and as rustic as it could be. I think it makes it look more awesome and natural. I tossed a festive stole on top of it and put a picture of Babs and I on it and thought it looked great!

What about you, any DIY project you might wanna share with us?

Green Smoothie for a Healthy Me!

I have a confession to make. I only started eating fruits and vegetables when I met Babs. Well, it's not that I don't eat any veggie or any fruit at all. It's just that I can count on one hand the number of fruits I eat and two hands for the veggies.

I really don't know why I disliked vegetables (especially the green leafy ones) and fruits when I was growing up. Both my parents eat all kinds of greens and fruits but somehow, I never learned how to enjoy eating those nutritious food.

Anyways, fast forward to the present time, I am proud to say that my veggies and fruits intake have improved and not only that! I also enjoy eating them which is so unlikely if you meet me in the past.

And because I have been exploring all kinds of healthy food, I've decided to try concocting our very own green smoothie. Actually, this move was also inspired by a friend who is trying to live a healthier lifestyle by juicing. We don't have a juicer but we have a blender so healthy smoothie is what I want to focus on.

So guys, let me share with you Ankamil's Green Smoothie.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of baby spinach
2 medium size bananas (frozen)
1 medium size cucumber (frozen)
1 cup 150ml sweetened yogurt
water (accdg. to the consistency you prefer)

Serving: 3 glasses

How about you? Do you have a healthy smoothie recipe that you can share with us? Please do tell!

Cheers everybody!

Holi Hai!

Holi Hai! Holi Hai! Holi Hai! (It's Holi! It's Holi! It's Holi!)

Today, India celebrated one of its major festivals that are being celebrated every year called Holi. It was my first time to actually experience it so I was really excited about it and was really looking forward to it.

Holi is famously known as the festival of colors because friends and families apply colored powder on each other's faces. Children will even go as wild as using water guns and water bombs filled with the colored solution when playing with each other.

Holi also marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring.

As much as I would like to experience Holi with a big bunch of people, we just don't have nearby friends or family to celebrate it with. Nevertheless, celebrating it with Babs was all I needed and I sure had a blast applying m̶a̶k̶e̶-̶u̶p̶ colored powder on Babs face. Ha!

How about you guys, did you celebrate Holi too?

Again, Happy Holi to everybody!

To Have a Cooking Blog or Not

Hi guys!

Been under the weather the past couple of days hence my lack of posts during those times. Anyway, I'm feeling better now so I thought I should drop by and share with you what I have been thinking about for quite some time now.

You see, for the longest time, hmmm... probably about almost three years now, I've been thinking of creating a new blog where I can document each dish that I cook. I thought that in doing so, one, I can keep track of the dishes that I have successfully cooked and two, hopefully give inspiration to struggling cooks or kitchen newbies like me.

I have been married for three years now but my cooking experience is still very limited because of several reasons such as my lack of interest to learn and poor motivation to name a few.

But now, I think I'm almost ready to take up this new challenge. I just need to fix and straighten up a number of stuff and then I'm ready to launch my very own cooking show! Erm, I mean blog. Cooking Blog. Teehee!

Anywho, let me leave you guys with a few snaps of some of the dishes that I made.

South Korea's Bibimbap

India's Bhutta

Philippines' Pork Sinigang

Spreading good vibes to everybody!

So, What Did You Get (or Do) Yesterday?

So yeah, yesterday was Friday AND it also happened to be Valentine's Day so the love air was thicker than the usual, it was raining hearts and kissy lip marks, the flowers were looking lovelier (and more expensive too!), teddy bears appeared cuter than ever, chocolates disappeared from grocery shelves and racks lightning fast, on the spot dinner reservations were impossible and hotels (and motels) were fully booked! Why! Oh! Why!

Okay, maybe I exaggerated a little bit but you know exactly what I was trying to say right? Anyway, since we are already talking about the stuff that usually happen during this time of the year, let's talk about what you got (or did) yesterday. I sincerely hope that you had a great day yesterday with your special someone. And if otherwise, I pray that you will soon meet THE one.

As for me, I received awesome gifts from Babs yesterday. Although technically speaking, he actually gave me my Valentine's Day presents several days before the actual day. He gifted me loads of chocolates and a beautiful salwar kameez. You see, he's not really into V-Day because he thinks it's all about commercialism but since he knows I'm a sucker for this kind of stuff, he still went ahead with it. That's an A in my record book.

Of course I want to give Babs something special too but since he's not a big fan of presents and there's not plenty of options around anyway (we stay in a small town you see), I've decided to give him a surprise dinner instead. I cook dinner for him most of the time but yesterday, I prepared one of his favorite Indian dishes called bharta, the only Indian dish that I know how to cook. I served it with a number of other stuff like my own salad invention. I'm so glad that he loved everything and that I successfully gave him a good surprise. He swore that he didn't see it coming so MISSION ACCOMPLISHED for me!

Love is truly a wonderful thing not only to have but also to give. It may be cheesy, corny and even lousy for the cynic minded but it is also VERY powerful. So powerful that it can melt hearts, wash away tears, move mountains, cross the deepest oceans and go on even after death.

I Feel It In My Fingers... I Feel It In My Toes...

Love is all around me... And so the feeling grows...

Does that sound familiar to you? Well, it's a cut from the song Love is All Around by Wet Wet Wet.

Before Valentine's Day gets over here in my side of the planet, I just want to drop by and greet you all a Happy Valentine's and hope that you get to spend this special day with your special someone.

Petaled Fairies

Flowers are probably one of the most beautiful creations of God that we humans get to enjoy. They are so lovely that they have become one of the staples when it comes to celebrating wonderful events in our lives such as birthdays and wedding anniversaries. The calmness and soothing effect of flowers are so powerful that we even use them to decorate funerals of deceased loved ones. We even make it a point that we bring a bunch or even just one long stemmed rose (or whatever type of flower one prefers to bring) to the cemetery when visiting those who have already passed perhaps as a symbol of commemorating them.

You might be asking why the heck am I writing about flowers? Well, I'm just inspired by the blooming buds of the many kinds of flowers here in this small town where we (Babs and I) are currently staying. That's why. I'm actually thinking of buying at least three potted flower plants this weekend to decorate our balcony. Over here, I saw flowers that are as big as my face when in full bloom and I'm just in awe of them because I've never seen something like those before.

Now, let me share with you some snaps I took last Christmas of those hard to resist petaled fairies! Yep, I think they're fairies wearing petals instead of wings! Oh! And if you happen to know their names, please do let me know. I only know roses, sunflowers and tulips. Oh dear!

Anywho, enjoy!

Aren't they photogenic?

What about you, what's your favorite flower?

My! Oh My!

Well, well, well...

Here I am, back to the blogging world and still unsure of what to really blog. The Jane of All Trade in me just wants to do all sorts of things and share them all to the world wide web but funny how things have turned out so far for me. Not a single post since I tested blogging via a tablet. Haha!

Anyway, I don't know if I'll be able to really keep this blog active and updated regularly but I will try. I REALLY do have many things I wanna share with everyone but let's just say it's either I'm caught up with some other important stuff or I'm too darn lazy to get my already fat (and getting fatter by the day) fingers typing away.

But you see, I made a progress today. I decided to log in and write this entry right now. Aren't you proud of me?

So right now, let me just give you a heads up of the things that I am thinking of sharing with you guys in the following days. Basically, it's gonna be an "anything goes" kind of stuff. It can be a new dish that I cooked or a new junk food I tried or a new place I've checked out or a couple of "lucky" shots I was able to take of some random animals or plants (or garbage?) or a new restaurant I've tried or some girly haul I recently bought and the list goes on. 

But don't worry. I'll do my best to keep each of my posts as interesting (Hey! It can even be educational!) as it could be so that you won't feel I robbed you of your precious time in the end.

As of this moment, let me just share with you a "lucky" shot of a pigeon I was able to take a couple of weeks ago. What do I mean by "lucky"? Hmmm, it means that I think the shot was a pretty decent snap that it can be shared with others. So here it is...

Hello there Mr. Birdie! Why are you copying me?

Testing...

Currently testing if blogging on a tablet is easy peasy or back breaking hard. I ain't using any external keyboard so it kinda takes time for me to type down what is going on in my mind.

Anyway, I got a few topics lined up for you guys so watch out!

Ok, gotta go now, have a blessed Sunday everyone!

After a very Long Hiatus, Ankamil Yepuda is BACK!

Why, hello there! I know, I know... It's been a while since I last blogged. Well, what can I say, too many things came up! Anyway, here I am, back in the blogging world and hopefully (with fingers and toes crossed), I can keep you guys posted as regularly as possible (is there such phrase?) about my whims and fancies and experiences and daydreams and whatnots. 

Hmmm... For now, I just want all you guys to know that I am back and that I am still alive and kickin'.

Once I am done posting this entry, I'll start working on creating a list of stuff that I would like to share with you guys right away. I mean, I just told you that TOO many things came up right? So, I think that means that I have A LOT of stuff to talk about. So there.

WELCOME BACK TO ME!

Hahaha!

Happy Sunday everyone!

PS. Oh! By the way, do you have any question you wanna ask me or a topic you want me to write about? Just drop me a line or two and I'll definitely get back on you.

Merry Christmas Everybody!!!

Holiday Greetings from AnkamilYepuda!!!

Dear Winter, I Love You but then I Hate You Too

I grew up in a tropical country where the only seasons I am aware of are summer season and rainy season. And now that I am located yet in another country that is famous for its soaring temperature during the summers, at this moment, I am experiencing the cold winter season, apparently they have it here also, for the first time and I am telling you, I love and hate it the same time.

Now, let me tell you the reasons why I love the winter season.

Yours truly chillin' like a boss in our living room.

• Not having to feel the icky and exhausting Delhi heat is something that I am very pleased about.

• I get to try on winter clothes that I've been dreaming of wearing but could not because back in my country, it does not get that cold unless we go somewhere high up in the mountains.

• I dont really need to worry about sweating.

• It makes me appreciate hugs and snuggling even more.

Okay, now that we're done with the positive things that make me love winter season, let me tell you this time the reasons why I hate it.

Yours truly tryin' to get some sunshine and warmth while I'm at our rooftop.

• Since we do not have a boiler or any kind of air conditioner that can keep the temperature inside our house warm, once the coldness gets nasty, the chilling effect of a very low temperature really seeps in my bones and it's not fun at all.

• And since we do not have an automatic water heater system, tap water is like water from the fridge and man! It can wake up all the senses in you once it starts gushing on your hands. We have a heating rod that we can use to heat water for stuff like bathing.
   
• Because I am not used to this kind of weather, my body's still adjusting to it but still, I easily feel cold which can really be a tough thing to shake away especially when I just woke up from my sleep.
   
• The coldness makes me wanna do nothing at times but just bury myself under our thick blanket.

I guess I just have to be thankful that at least it does not snow here because I'm sure that it is going to be very difficult for me to get by each day considering that we do not have a central heater at home. Or who knows, maybe the setup will be different around here if it does snow in this place.

It's funny because I'm already complaining of the cold weather when in fact, winter is just starting and the temperature will drop even more as days go by. For some days now, I find myself wishing that I am back home in my country, braving the heat and humidity because I think it's more bearable than the cruel winter cold but then again, maybe it's because I'm used to my tropical climate.

Oh well...

What about you, do you love winter or do you hate it? Or are you just like me who both love and hate this cold season at the same time?

Hope you enjoyed this post!