An American Retired in the Philippines
Until recently, I didn’t know that two of my older siblings (Shirley and David) suffered from celiac disease. I didn’t even know they were gluten intolerant until I spoke to my sister over the phone after many years. Plenty of people suffer from gluten intolerance without having celiac disease. Certain foods give me similar symptoms, … Read more
Most westerners (like Americans) won’t eat insects unless they don’t know they’re eating insects. In far eastern societies, however, entomophagy (eating insects) is common among humans. I’ve watched enough videos on various platforms to know this is true. It’s big business in places like Thailand. United States Marines, when undergoing jungle environment survival training at … Read more
I’ve only recently (within the last couple of years) seen a goose up close. In fact, it was a lot of geese. Some people tell me geese look like ducks with long necks. There’s a resemblance, and that’s about all I can say about it. I’ve never eaten one, and I probably wouldn’t, even if … Read more
A dingleberry can mean one of three things, but the real meaning is vaccinium erythrocarpum, a specific cranberry species. It’s also commonly known as the mountain blueberry, the southern mountain cranberry, the bearberry and the arando. The slang meanings can refer to a stupid or foolish person, or fecal and toilet paper fragments adhering to … Read more
Up until the day I used vinegar to solve my problem with acid reflux and heartburn, I avoided spicy food as much as possible. If I found myself in a position where I couldn’t avoid it, I was sure to carry antacid tablets with me. Today, I love all kinds of spicy food, probably more … Read more
My younger son, Jon, is fascinated with mead. I blame it on the video games he plays that simulate the medieval period of history. He wants to drink it, and he wants to create a meadery someday. I found a YouTube video that explains how to make mead at home, and I forwarded the link … Read more
The consumption of animal meat isn’t sustainable. Sure, most of the human race can live on it for some time to come, but for how long? As the population increases, the amount of grazing land decreases. The way some animals are now being raised is less humane and more antiseptic than ever, especially for animals … Read more
The title of this article is the entire poem titled “Reflections on Ice-Breaking” by Ogden Nash from 1931. It’s also a quote from the Willy Wonka movie of 1971. Some people believe liquor (or any form of alcohol) can be used to convince other people to do something. That’s partially true, but I won’t get … Read more
In most areas of the Philippines, as well as many other places in Asia and Europe, UHT milk is the only milk you can buy from the stores. UHT stands for “ultra-high temperature processing” or “ultra-heat treatment”, or “ultra-pasteurization”, whichever you prefer. It is not the same as pasteurized milk, regardless of what’s shown on … Read more
There’s been a lot of discussion over the years about the proper spelling of whiskey (with or without the “e”). It was even mentioned in the 2017 film, “Kingsman: The Golden Circle“. I have no thoughts at all on the matter. While distilled liquor has existed for thousands of years, whiskey only dates back to … Read more