Miswak what?

As I am now needing a dentifrice because my Colgate Herbal is almost finished. It's not available at the nearest supermarket so I went to the town to search another toothpaste (Colgate Herbal in particular).

And I saw the label, Miswak. Miswak what? It's like a local name of a wheat noodle. Then the Googling went into my mind.

In culmination of the Eid'l Fitr, Miswak is Muslim related! and yes, it's an alien word to me & even in the western world and you know what? it is not just a twig but a "wonder twig" obtained fromthe Arak tree (Peelu tree) although a few other trees can also be used to obtain it such as walnut & olive. Some studies taken that this twig is far more better than a toothpaste in preventing periodontal disease. It is one of the early cleaning tool in the mouth before the birth of toothbrush. The use of the "wonder twig" is wide-spread in the Muslim population of the world, and is a common entity in Muslim countries. Why? Because it is also attributed to their religious beliefs.

Aside from the religious side, let's go for its benefits. And here it goes:

• Kills Gum disease causing bacteria.
• Fights plaque effectively.
• Fights against caries.
• Removes Bad breath and odor from mouth.
• Creates a fragrance in the mouth.
• Effectively clean between teeth due to its parallel bristles.
• Increases salivation and hence inhibits dry mouth (Xerostomia)

Resarch sponsored by Wrigley Company (makers of JuicyFruit & DoubleMint) showed that mints lacked with Miswak extract were 20 times more effective in killing bacteria than ordinary mints alone. A small testimony  to this fact is that after half an hour, the mints laced with Miswak extract killed about 60% compared to regular mints that managed to kill 3.6% of the total bacterial count.

Journal of Periodontology (August 2008 Issue) appeared a study by researchers from Sweden. They seen that suspended Miswak pieces in a petridish (medium for culturing bacteria) were able to kill bacteria that cause periodontal disease with out being in physical contact with the bacteria. The researchers suggested that Miswak might be giving antibiotics as gases trying to explain this phenomenon.

A study conducted by a group of dentists at King Saud University concluded that using Miswak was at least as good as tooth brushing, if not better. There have been plenty of published studies on Miswak and infact entire books published which study its oral and systemic benefits.

So, among these studies, this "wonder twig" should have more & more media exposure to formulate more dental products using Miswak. And more further studies to be conducted both in dental student's thesis and in big time research companies. So Colgate, thank yo for the herbal toothpaste & integrating Miswak in it. :D


P.S. thank you dentalhealthsite.com for a more informative article than Wikipedia. Peace (",)V

Guinée Équatoriale beaucoup de problème

My first journey outside the Philippines for a dental job is in the only Spanish-colonized country in the continent of Africa.. Equatorial Guinea. At first I asked myself... "Where in the world is Equatorial Guinea?" I have known a little African countries such as Egypt, Kenya, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia and others. But Equatorial Guinea? Sounds new country to me. 

Well to make the long story short, it just took me 5 months to say goodbye to that country. As Gustavo, my friend there always says "Doctor, Guinea Ecuatorial beaucoup beaucoup de problème." And I agree to that. Why? According to WIkipedia, the GDP of the country is $20,200 per capita. Meaning, the GDP of E.Guinea is like the capita of other European Union country. Plus the discovery of oil reserves which counts them as the third-largest oil producer in the Sub-Saharan Africa. But why beaucoup de  problème? Maybe Forbes can answer this question.

Yes people of the world, it is the single word to explain... Corruption. It is now the age of 2010 and beyond but most of the part of the city doesn't have electricity. Imagine, one of the largest oil producer in Africa has problem with electricity. It is kinda ironic as it seems but that is the reality. And it is part of the top 10 on the list. As far as my observation goes, the country is very promising. It has all its resources it needs. But when attitude strikes such as being bad to the people who are helping improve the country (esp. foreigners), well I can't say... They can live the life but they don't have the skills and expertise. Police & Military power also is abusive. They will extort yo money for snack, beer or just for fun. Yes, it is wide-spread in Africa but it only takes a political will by the president itself to make the country progress. 

I'm just sad that a very promising country is still in the chain of, not command, but corruption. That is why I didn't had the guts to stay long & finish my contract. I don't like to be influenced by that system. But I am very fortunate to stayed there... for learning experience.

Customized Hapee Organ

In search for Vegetarian Resto Episode1

The Place: Chimara Neo-Vegan Cafe is always on the blog list of famous Vegetarian Restaurant here in the Philippines. Friday was my declared day-off from work to get my authenticated diploma/transcript from the Department of Foreign Affairs. So after getting my red ribboned document, I proceeded directly to Ayala Center to search the hidden Chimara resto. It was a long walk from Glorietta 2 to Greenbelt 3. I almost got lost because I was so unfamiliar at Ayala Center or it has been a long time since I went to Greenbelt. So, it's beside the cinema so here are some photos I took as I reached my destination.

The menu:

 

The Food: 

Too bad I was looking for a rice meal. Most of the menus are intended for watching movies because of the popcorn and the nachos thing. So I ordered a Tofu Pesto Pita Romana with Neo-Nacho Chips & Green tea  with  the price of a hundred eighty Pesos.

 Too bad again I can't appreciate what I'm eating because I do wear Orthodontic Brackets & my teeth are too tender for such hard food. The Pita Romana was loaded with peanuts which is hard to bite on. And also the chips included. Green tea was does not have that strong taste.

The Verdict: I will give a 7/10 rating for this meal. I'm not a fan of Pita or plato wrap food but so far so good. The "brace" factor affected how I eat the meal. Price wise, it should be on a 150 pesos price range. It's kinda complete meal but how I wish they have rice meal for the hungry Pinoy.

j e j e m o n

While listening to the radio this morning & this evening the topic of the day is all about this whatever word "jejemon".  Its a hispanic in origin 'coz its really a part of their language. But here in the Philippines, its kinda duh in sense, 'coz its been a long time when someone text me jejeje! a coño (or jologs) version of hehehe. As I research about this word there is also such thing as jejebuster.. tsk..

1. jejemon

1) Usually seen around social networking sites such as Friendster and Multiply, jejemons are individuals with low IQs who spread around their idiocy on the web by tYpFing LyK diZS jejejeje, making all people viewing their profile raise their eyebrows out of annoyance. Normal people like you and me must take a Bachelor of Arts in Jejetyping in order to understand said individuals, as deciphering their text would cause a lot of frustration and hair pulling.

CAUTION: THESE INDIVIDUALS ARE BREEDING! THEY CAN BE SEEN WRECKING GRAMMATICAL HAVOC ON FACEBOOK TOO!

2) Jejemons are not just confined to trying-hard Filipino gangsters and emos. A Jejemon can also include a variety of Latino-Hispanic fags who enjoy typing "jejejejeje" in a wider context, much to the disdain of their opponents in an internet MMORPG game such as Ragnarok and DOTA.

3) Basically anyone with a low tolerance in correct punctuation, syntax and grammar. Jejemons are usually hated or hunted down byJejebusters or the grammar nazi to eradicate their grammatical ways.

On AIM or YM:

miSzMaldiTahh111: EoW pFuOh!

You: Huh?

miszMaldiTahh111: i LLyK tO knOw moR3 bOut u, PwfoH. crE 2 t3ll mE yur N@me? jejejejeje!

You: You are a jejemon! Don't talk to me, you uneducated retard!

miszMaldiTahh111: T_T

Totoo TV at DFA Building

April 12 is an exciting day because it is my appointment day to get my very own ePassport (a.k.a. machine readable). As I filed for leave on my work & 1pm I departed from my workplace. So by 2pm I was there na sa DFA Building. First I surrendered my NBI Clearance claim stub on the Authentication Division, then proceeded to Courtesy Lane to get my passport. According to the claim stub/receipt the schedule is 2pm-4pm. A grand & brand new building but same bulok system of kawalang kaayusan. So to make the long story short, I got my passport around 4pm. So much for waiting very long for my appointment time. Then I went to the Authentication Division and wholla! Few people na lang on the place. So I got my authenticated NBI Clearance without a fuss. As I depart the place there is a little flock but some people don't mind it because they are minding their own business. And what's about the flocking? It's the dynamic duo of the misadventures of Ariel & Maverick, the Totoo TV guys. They're promoting their show at 9:30pm on TV5. So I stole a few shots inside the building. And I went na outside & leaving the vicinity. Pero I was double-minded if I wanna have a picture with them. Now, Ariel is making tambay sa gate. I approached him & said "Sir, pa-shot naman.." And this cool down-to-earth guy gave it a shot. After that, he promoted "uy, 9:30pm ha?" So that's the reward of waiting in vain for your ePassport... A shot with Ariel... and Maverick.

The Dentist creed

To respect my profession, my reputation & myself. To be honest & fair with patient as I expect my patient to be honest & fair with me; To think of Dentistry with loyalty, speak of it with praise, & act always as a custodian of its good name. To be man whose word carries weight with my fellow-citizens, to be boosters, not a knocker, pusher no a kicker, a motor not a clog.

To base my expectation of rewards of a solid foundation of service rendered; To be willing to pay the price in honest efforts. To look upon my work as opportunity to be seized with joy & make the most of it, and not as a painful drudgery to be reluctantly endured.

To remember all that success lies within myself, in my own brain, my own ambition, my own courage, and determination. To expect difficulties and force my way through them; To convert hard experience into capital for future struggles.

To believe in my proposition heart & soul; To carry an air of optimism. In to the presence of possible patients, dispel ill temper with cheerfulness; Kill doubts with strong convictions, and reduce active fiction with an agreeable personality.

To make a study of the professional & business side of Dentistry; To know both sides in every detail from the group; To mix brains with my efforts, & to use system of method in my work; To find time to so everything needful by never letting time find me doing nothing.

To make every hour bring me dividends in fees; Increased knowledge, or healthful recreation. To save money as well as earn it; To cut out expensive amusements until I can afford them.

Finally, to take good trip of the joy of life; To play the game like a gentleman, to fight against nothing so hard as my own weakness, and to endeavor to grow as a Dentist and as a man with the passage or every day time.

This is my creed...

-Author unknown

17 inch laptop anyone?

Window shopping is my hobby. One thing good about the store Save Our Surplus is that everything in there is a "need".. and sometimes a "want" also. It's cool to see electronic goods, kitchen wares, TV, refurbished LCD monitors and yes, even imported shirts & pants (I forgot the brand). I bought there Delta optical mouse worth php197 to replace our bugged down Genius optical mouse. But my eye sucked on this deep&wide HP laptop. Yes, its 17 inches just like your old boob-tube Television. Cool because it has number pad on its keyboard. As i inquire for it its straight from US. So without further a due, here is the specifications of HP Pavilion dv6-2157 US Entertainment NoteBook.

Specifications:

AMD Turion (TM) II Dual-Core

Mobile M520 (2 CPUs)  2.3GhZ

16:9 LED HP Bright View Widescreen

4GB DDR2 RAM

320GB Hard Drive

DVD-RW Built in Modem, LAN

Webcam WIFi ready

ATI Mobility Radeon HD 4200 Graphics

5-in-1 Digital Media Reader

6 Cell Lithium Battery

Windows 7 Home

Awesome specs! totally a grand package who wants to use laptop in multitasking works. And guess what the price is? It's only php37,495! How I wish I have that money on that day. But, that's life... Hanggang tingin na lang.. Someday somehow.. (wish)

Crocs Mega (crap) Sale

It was a disappointing day to set sail on Mega Tent in Ortigas. March 17 was a day dedicated to Citibank cardholders but it was to great the crowd on that particular day. Advertisement says its up to 90% off but sadly there's no catch at all. Price is not that "mega" sale at all. And the items priced as low as 370 pesos? Guess what? its huge size 13 and the design & quality na is very pangit. Ads are really deceiving... It's not worth to buy there. If you have the money, go buy it in malls. Sasama lang loob mo dagdagan pa ng siksikan at pawis at init at mahahabang linya. tsk.. tsk..

Ice Cream survey says...

The most advertised election campaign period is no other than this year of 2010. Why? Would you imagine 7-Eleven, Mini-Stop would have their own survey (not relying on SWS or Neilsen) by patronizing their political bet's paper cup with their respective colors. But here as you order ice cream you will have to drop a paper to your bet. As you observe, Aquino, Estrada & Villar has the "overflowing" votes. But still my bet is none of the three. It doesn't mean that you are the top on the survey you have the authority & capability to be the commander-in-chief of our beloved Philippine Republic. Sad to say that Filipinos don't do their research and very ignorant when voting for public officials. "Kung sino na lang number 1 sa survey un na lang.." But it's not as easy as that. Remember, He will be ruling us in the next six years. The reason why we keep on complaining to our leaders because we just go on with the wave. Sabay sa agos & gaya-gaya.. kung sino magbiay ng pera.. We keep on breaking our standards. And we are so selfsish.. Always on our own gain. That's the sin of Lucifer that's why he was dethroned from heaven.  We do not think of others first but rather thinking of our selves only.  How can we grow if we don't get out of our box... our comfort zone. Poverty is not the real issue nor corruption. It's Education... We have a lot of laws but do we implement them? We need to educate our countrymen not to ask what the government can do for us but what we can do for the government. If we want to be patriotic, it's not by marching or protesting in EDSA when we don't like our leaders, it's by voting the right & responsible person. Now, the power is on our hands. Vote wisely.