February: Finished!

Things I’ve Recently Finished: *

1.     Avon Breathlessly Sunflower Lotion: This is a good option if you’re on a budget. It has a very nice scent (sunflowery? - very feminine) that lasts and hydrates the skin well enough. It’s actually a thin lotion so it's best to use it during summer, or use it as a quick hand lotion. I don't feel very guilty using a lot of this product since it's not that expensive.
2.     Neutrogena Hydro Boost Cleansing Foam (a real review here): It was nice while it lasted.
3.     Colgate Fresh Confidence with Strips of Whiteness: I like this toothpaste because it leaves my mouth with a minty feeling that's not as strong as some of the other toothpastes I've tried. I like the "strips" but they're more like little pieces of rock candy for me, the texture is nice but what does it do? I didn’t see a difference in the whiteness of my teeth; I’m not actually sure this is a whitening toothpaste, but it markets itself as if it were. Have you noticed that Colgate keeps saying that all its toothpastes whiten teeth, freshen breath and fight cavities? I did not see any effect on my teeth. As I am an avid coffee and tea drinker, I did not actually expect any whitening, but my teeth actually seem yellower now (so I wouldn’t count on it being whitening at all). This toothpaste has 1450 ppm and no triclosan.
4.     Pantene Pro-V Nature Care Conditioner: Another blah conditioner.  First three ingredients (because I’m lazy) are Water, Bis-Aminopropyl Dimethicone and Stereayl Alcohol. Nothing very natural to me; the “blend of naturally derived ingredients” are low on the list, though it doesn’t have any parabens. I think I didn’t like this conditioner very much because the color reminded me of mucus (when you have a slight infection). It’s a light green color… but at least it washes of easily enough (I’m not sure how I feel about the fact that most conditioners list water as the first ingredient).

On another note, have you tried Clara Ole’s dressings? I’m quite fond of the Vinaigrette Pesto. It’s 200 kCal per serving (2 tbsps) and is oil based, but I love pesto. J

-SS

*No pictures. Lack of decent camera woes, as usual. Plus I’m lazy (see my name).

Thoughts: Taxation of Association Dues (ToADs)

A Taxing Society

It’s not exactly a recent event, but for those who don’t know – the BIR has decided on taxation of association dues – we’ll call it ToADs for short. Now, I don’t know if this is a response to the weakening dollar, but this income generating project (for the government) seems ridiculous at best and terrifying at worst.

In case you’ve never lived in a condominium: association dues are a pooled fund used for the maintenance of the building, including the salaries of the staff. The amount given is based on a value set by the homeowners’ association multiplied by how much space you have. In short, it’s the combined resources of several families for upkeep of their homes.

Now, I’m no lawyer but I can see how unreasonable that is because if you think about it: Homeowners earn money via salaries which are taxed (income); this money is used to pay off utilities (which will now also taxed via e-vat) and personnel, who will also be taxed (income). The BIR will acquire a slice from all ends. So why is it that the government has decided on ToADs? There is nothing earned in the collection process (no work was done), it is simply a way to handle the expenses of a large amount of people at one time. As such, this tax seems to be an expression of greed - as a child eyes another’s dinner, knowing that he has his own. I don’t know if ToADs is legal, but I know that it’s not right. A government that allows – even encourages – such a thing is reprehensible because it both discourages its people’s comfort and disparages group organization.

There are two things in this world that are constant: the first occurs only once in one’s lifetime, while the other permeates nearly all aspects of today’s existence. Is it no wonder that I find the former less disturbing than the latter?

-SS

Student

Shi Lin

Just some more food porn for this weekend. Shi Lin is a taiwanese restaurant that has several branches, this one in Podium, Mandaluyong.  We had 3 different types of noodles:

 

The triangular bowls were actually the most interesting thing about the dishes. However, the beef tasted the best of the three. 

And a serving of pork siomai and xiao long bao. 

The siomai was actually better than the xiao long bao...

How was your weekend?

Art Circle Cafe

Have you guys tried Art Circle Cafe in the University of the Philippines, Diliman?

I had a few pictures but it seems my lappy and phone are incompatible (and I can't figure out how to send my files since the email is screwy). Anyway's it's a small cafe inside the Alumni Center in Magsaysay St. Quezon City.

Try their hazelnut coffee: P110 for 2 cups (comes in a french press or cafetiere). It's air conditioned inside so you can take a break from the heat (it's January and it still gets really hot here in the Philippines).

I tried their tablea cake as well but it did not really appeal to me.