Hagonoy Municipality After the Flood > Chocolate Around the World ...

www.adbsaweb.org
Vol. 44, No. 4, February 2012
NEWS FLASH
NEWSLETTER OF THE ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK SPOUSES’ ASSOCIATION, INC.
> Hagonoy Municipality After
the Flood
> Chocolate Around the World
> ADBSA Renewal Form
The Toastmaster’s
Apprentice
page 23
• Afghanistan • Armenia • Australia • Austria • Azerbajian • Bangladesh • Belgium • Bhutan • Brunei Darussalam • Cambodia • Canada
• China, People’s Republic of • Cook Islands • Denmark • Fiji Islands • Finland • France • Georgia • Germany • Hong Kong, China • India
• Indonesia • Ireland • Italy • Japan • Kazakhstan • Kiribati • Korea, Republic of • Kyrgyz Republic • Lao People’s Democratic Republic
• Luxembourg • Malaysia • Maldives • Marshal Islands, Republic of the Micronesia • Federated States of Mongolia • Myanmar • Nauru • Nepal
• The Netherlands • New Zealand • Norway • Pakistan • Palau • Papua New Guinea • Philippines • Portugal • Samoa • Singapore • Spain
• Solomon Islands • Sri Lanka • Sweden • Switzerland •Tajikistan • Taipei, China • Thailand • Timor Leste • Tonga • Turkey • Turkmenistan
• Tuvalu • United Kingdom • United States • Uzbekistan • Vanuatu • Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of

2
CONTENTS
Editor’s Note 3
Calendar 3
SWC : Hagonoy Municipality After the
Flood
4
SWC : Updates 5
SC : Feeling like a Scholar for a day 7
by Diya George
Travel : Just a little bit off the beaten 9
track by Alexandra Gregori
Cooking : Chocolate Around the World 12
Restaurant Review : Chocolate Fire in
Salcedo village
by Alexandra Gregori
Their Corner : My Favorite Sport
Boxing!, by Krishna Goswami
Book Review : The night before the
worst day by Alexandra Gregori
Getting an Education in Wine at
Enderun by Alexandra Gregori
What would your child’s yaya do in an
energency? by Marie Emmanuel
FOR YOUR INFORMATION
The Social Welfare Committee usually meets on the first
Monday of every month.
Contact Colin Campbell for more details (pongaroad@
gmail.com).
The ADBSA Scholarship Committee meets on the second
Tuesday of every month.
Contact Usha Chander for more details (chander@
pldtdsl.net).
The Board of Trustees meets once a month.
Contact adbsamail@gmail.com for more details.
The Newcomers’ (Oldcomers’) Coffee Mornings.
Contact Nelva Baillie (nelva@live.ca) or
Peachy Miller(peachymiller@yahoo.com)
16
18
19
21
22
The Toastmaster’s Apprentice
by Alexandra Gregori
23
Photo of Events 24
ADBSA Membership Form 26
ADB Services 27
Editor : Tanya Tynjala
Associate Editor : Kelly Hauber
Graphic Designer : Radha Subramaniam
Contributors
Colin Campbell
Diya George
Alexandra Gregori
Hema Arora
Krishna Goswami
Zharina Abello
Marie Emmanuel
We welcome your articles,
ideas, views, and any feedback.
Please contact Tanya Tynjala at
adbsamail@gmail.com
or any board member directly or visit
our website at adbsaweb.org
FRONT COVER: Kalawaan Child Development
Center.
Photo by Social welface Committee.
BACK COVER : Fisherman at the Hagonoy
River in Bulacan.
Photo by Tanya Tynjala.
General Meetings are held once a month.
Contact adbsamail@gmail for more details.
Investment Club meets once every two weeks on
Wednesday.
Contact Katrina Heinen at heinenadb@yahoo.com

EDITOR’s NOTE
With this issue, we arrive at the end of the tenure of this Board, so this is
also our last issue. I am grateful for the experience and I want to especially
thank my wonderful team, Radha and Kelly. Without them, it would have
been impossible to have the News Flash out on time.
In this issue, the Social Welfare Committee informs us about their emergency
donation made last October to the Hagonoy Municipality, a beautiful little
town that has suffered from last season’s typhoon. The Mayor explains how
the distribution was made and what the consequences were of the damage
that was caused by the disaster.
Because it is important to make our stay in this country a productive one,
you will find in this issue useful information about some courses we can
take while staying on the Philippines: wine testing, Toastmasters…
This and other articles can be found thanks to our collaborator on this issue. We also invite you to write about
your experiences here or traveling abroad or whatever you want and you think would be nice to share with the
ADBSA community.
We hope you enjoy this issue of News Flash.
Calendar of Events
Come and join us and be a part of the ADBSA activities
DATE & TIME EVENT VENUE
27 JANUARY Glamour for a cause Mrs. Kumiko Kuroda’s house.
By registration
08 FEBRUARY Incredible India :
Saree Fashion Show
27 FEBRUARY Annual General Meeting ADB
Mrs. Kumiko Kuroda’s house.
By registration
3

4
SOCIAL WELFARE COMMITTEE
Hagonoy Municipality after the flood
As the NewsFlash shared with you in the last edition,
the Social Welfare Committee had an emergency
donation of 20,000 pesos worth in food to Hagonoy
Municipality, which was affected in last October's
typhoon. On Tuesday, 29th November, Colin
Campbell, chairperson for the SWC, went up to
Hagonoy to meet with Mayor Angel Cruz. The ADBSA
News Flash was there to cover the story.
Puso, the mini mall that served as a shelter
Hagonoy (Filipino: Bayan ng Hagonoy) is a first class
urban municipality situated at the southwest corner of
Organigram, of the distribution
the province of Bulacan. According to the 2007 NSO
census, it has a population of 126,329 inhabitants
distributed in 25,900 households. With its abundant
water resources and the coastal nature of the town,
the majority of the population is dependent on the
fishing industry. Hagonoy has 7,837.65 hectares
devoted to fish farming or about three-fourths of its
total land area. It is home to about 1,423 fishpond
operators and 55 registered consignations – a venue
for trading aquaculture products. The town offers a
variety of harvest which includes prawns, shrimps,
milkfish, tilapia, crabs, mussels and oysters. Even the
municipal government has its own fishpond locally
known as "Propyus", situated in Pugad and Tibaguin,
two coastal barangays of Hagonoy along the coast of
Manila Bay. The coastal barrios work virtually 24 hours
a day/7 days a week, as fishermen go out to the sea at
The Mayor showing the level of water during
the flood
night for hours.
Also, because of its coastal nature, the town is prone
to periodic tidal surges from Manila Bay and to flooding
from the riverside courses that have been rendered
shallow by accelerated siltation. The town also serves
as catch basin from the almost annual overspill of
Pampanga and Angat rivers due to excessive rainfall
during typhoon season. This flood normally occurs
every two to three years. Major Angel Cruz has lived in
this zone for 15 years and has experienced six floods.
But, even if they cause some damage, the population
is somehow prepared for those floods that, according
to the Major, never rise above one inch of water.
Several factors aggravated the situation during the last
typhoon: the flooding of the sea at the same time of the
storm and also the flooding of Pampanga River.
Continued to page 17

SOCIAL WELFARE COMMITTEE
CRIBS
(Updates by Zharina)
There is a new development on the jewelry workshop
program. Liway, the CRIBS administrator and the
teacher/school coordinators, Ofelia and Gi, spoke to
our group regarding our sessions with the girls.
Apparently, six of the seven girls participating in our
jewelry class are not doing very well in school so their
teachers requested that our sessions be done in the
afternoons or on Saturdays. The representatives of
the SWC told them that their desired schedule would
be difficult for most of the SWC volunteers.
So they agreed to only work with the girls during their
summer break and semester break/holidays so that
they can focus and prioritize their studies. This will
also give the volunteers more time to devote to the
CRIBS babies and toddlers.
Dec. 7, 2011 : Zharina wrote: “Ching, Hema, Marie,
June, Anju and myself went to CRIBS for our Christmas
party. When we arrived the girls seemed rather quiet
and withdrawn. When I asked the administrator why
this was the case, she mentioned that many of the girls
were sad because they would not be able to join their
families for Christmas and New Year.
The girls quickly changed their demeanor when
we started the party. We hired Marvin, the dance
instructor, to teach the girls some dance steps and in
no time at all the girls plus their teachers and our fellow
volunteers were dancing non-stop.
SWC UPDATES
The party was indeed successful and everyone
enjoyed the food and the dancing. Towards the end of
the party, we gave our Christmas gifts to the girls and
they were all very grateful. In fact, the girls prepared a
wonderful surprise dance number for us to show their
appreciation.
The Social Welfare Committee resumed their volunteer
CRIBS sessions with the babies and toddlers group in
January 2012 and will resume their sessions with the
girls on April 2012. Visits are on Wednesdays.
If you want to join, e-mail Zharina: zharinatirol@aol.
com
TNK
(Updates by Colin, Hema and Alexandra)
There were sessions on November 14th and 21st and
on December 5th and 12th.
Nov. 14 2011 : This was the first session for some
of the boys. Colin wrote: “The new boys are slowly
learning the code of TNK but still there is a bit of
fighting (especially regarding sharing crayons) and
today I saw one boy really stab another quite hard
with a sharp pencil. The other guy was quite sore and
after a few moments pulled up his shirt sleeve to find
the lead of the pencil deep in his arm…No matter, he
just pulled it out and carried on coloring in... tough as
wee boots these boys are”. This is why the work of the
SWC is so important, because their contribution to the
TNK Center is helping to build the boys' social skills.
The session was completed with the reading of a story
5

6
by Colin, clapping/counting games and a join-the-dots
coloring-in page.
December 12, 2011 : There was a Christmas party
with a twist at TNK. Hema wrote: “This was indeed
a special day for them as they shifted to their new
premises on the same day. There was a ceremonial
moving out from the old to the new house. After prayers
and blessings from Father Matthieu, we all walked
down with the boys from the old to the new place. The
new house is a lot bigger and cleaner and the boys
are really excited about it. The classroom is also nicer
and we started off with the sound of music! Alex and
Hannah led them through a medley of songs and got
them into the holiday spirit with some lovely Christmas
songs.” Of course, Colin was Santa Claus.
The Social Welfare Committee resumed classes after
the Christmas holidays on January 16. Visits are on
Monday.
If you would like to join, e-mail Hema: hemaarora@
hotmail.com
Christmas Party at TNK

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
FEELING LIKE A SCHOLAR FOR A DAY
Though my participation in the Scholarship Committee
so far has been short, working with them truly changed
my attitude towards life. I had not realised untill my
visit to the Rizal Technological University how much
of themselves this group of inspiring people gives to
children who can not afford to study as far as their
dreams could take them.
The group, consisting of Usha, Makiko, Katrina, Uma
and me planned to meet at the west core lobby after
lunch. We headed off for the RTU which is very nearby
(Boni). On reaching the campus, my mind was instantly
taken back to my school and college days. We were
taken to the administrative office where we first had a
chat with the head of the scholarship office and another
senior person of authority who were only delighted to
see us. After that, the children were summoned. They
were all the same; they only looked like any other
youngster but for their dreams and ambitions in life. It
was something I had not expected and had come as a
pleasant surprise to me.
The experience opened my eyes to the passion and
hard work of the students who try whatever little their
means provide to make ends meet, but also the fact
that despite their struggle with every coming day, they
remain steadfast in the quest for their dreams. The
sincerity and dedication of the scholarship committee
towards this noble end deserves credit; it has been
truly remarkable to see the love they have towards
helping the underprivileged and yet deserving children.
by Diya George
It was not just the hint of pride and happiness that
welled up in me because of the realisation that the
ADBSA I am part of works exactly for this cause, but
also the tinge of awe and humility when I saw the
genuine happiness and promise on their faces. I truly
hope that everything works out for them and I am filled
with gratitude.
I encourage everybody who think they have it in them
to join and be a part of this wonderful group who have
for sure changed my outlook on life and reinforced the
fact that we need to count our blessings and lend a
helping hand to the less fortunate in our own little way.
A SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
The Scholarship Committee wants to warmly thank all the participants in their Private Sponsorship Program.
Without them, it would be impossible for the students of the Makarlika Villager Islamic Foundation School to
pursue their studies.
The Private Sponsorship Program is very flexible and proposes several possibilities to the sponsor. You can
sponsor a student for the whole year, or only for one semester. You can decide to sponsor a random student
or a specific one (for example not only from a a specific university but also from an specific school, like Deepthi
Pereira, who decided to sponsored one student from the School of Architecture).
So, a special thanks to our sponsors : Mrs. Kumiko Kuroda, Deepthi Pereirea, and the generous anonymous one,
many members from the Scholarship Committee, the Indian community, the Chinese community (with the support
of the Chinese ED's wife).
Don’t hesitate to do the same and became part of the change in some young person’s life.
7

8
NAME:
ADDRESS:
PHONE NUMBER:
E-MAIL:
AMOUNT*:
ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK SPOUSES’ ASSOCIATION
SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE
PRIVATE SPONSORSHIP APPLICATION FORM
ANY SPECIAL REQUESTS REGARDING THIS SPONSORSHIP:
MARK IF NECESSARY:
SIGNATURE
I would like to have information about the student I am sponsoring.
I would like to keep in contact with the student I am sponsoring.
I allow the Scholarship Committee to give my private information to the student I am sponsoring.
I would like to remain anonymous.
FROM THE SCHOLARHIP COMMITTEE FROM THE SPONSOR
*Any amount is welcome, but you can check the list of the institutions to
which we are giving the scholarship and the amount for each student, if you
desire to be more specific in you sponsorship.

TRAVEL
Just a little bit off the beaten track…
I arrived in Los Angeles determined not to be entirely
swamped by Disney, Universal Studios or any other
Hollywood theme parks. A day to absorb a little local
culture, other than the virtual reality of the movie world,
did not seem too much to ask.
“Melting Pot Tours Los Angeles” is a food tour group
based in Los Angeles, California. Sadly, they don’t run
tours in January, but their website gave me the idea of
heading out to Old Pasadena and devising our own.
The subway in Los Angeles is not as extensive as it is
by Alexandra Gregori
Mediterranean style apartments in Old Pasadena
in New York. LA has a car culture, and public transport
is consequently under-used. However, it went where
we wanted to go, and the cleanliness and lack of
crowds was, for us, an unexpected advantage.
Old Pasadena is located eleven miles east of downtown
LA at the foot of the San Gabriel Mountains. Proud
to be the second oldest city in California, but minus
the second largest pineapple/lobster/Mexican hat,
Pasadena reminded us of an Australian country town,
with its enormous blue skies, slow-moving residents,
low level buildings and broad streets.
9

This peaceful town was a welcome relief after three
weeks of New York City crowds boiling feverishly over
the pavements with Christmas holiday enthusiasm. If
we had arrived 2 days earlier, however, we would have
struck the traditional Rose Parade, an extravagant New
Year’s Day procession of flowery floats that attracts
almost a million tourists each year.
We arrived two days later and everything was calm
and unruffled. Wandering out of the station we were
immediately confronted with an impressively large
10
City Hall, Pasadena
Temptations Chocolate Shop
domed building at the top of the road. It seemed like
the obvious starting point.
The Pasadena City Hall was completed in 1927, and
claimed as one of the finest examples of the Californian
Mediterranean style of architecture. It is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places and the architect
was reputedly inspired by three other famous domes:
St Paul’s Cathedral in London, Les Invalides in Paris
and the Basilica Santa Maria della Salute in Venice.
Graceful and imposing from the front, it secretes a
serene cloistered garden behind its austere façade.
We climbed the curved staircase to the upper cloisters,
and leaned over the balcony to admire the cool beauty
of the neat flower beds and a central fountain burbling
soothingly in the flickering sunlight between two large,
shady trees.
The local resident of the information booth grudgingly
handed me a brochure on the city. There is a lot to do
in Pasadena, apparently, but without a car and only a
day to explore, well, it was hardly worth her exerting
the energy to describe the possibilities! Of course she
could direct us to the older part of town, but – sighing
– we would have to walk. The insinuation that it would
prove a good day’s hike proved exaggerated, but the
two short blocks became six longer ones, until we
realized she had sent us the wrong way. Bad directions
notwithstanding, we eventually found Old Pasadena
and Bar Celona, an unexpected culinary gem we came
across as we scanned the streets hungrily and urgently
for lunch. Modern Spanish and tapas, we felt, was the
perfect accompaniment to the Spanish flavour of the
town’s curved terracotta tiles and square campanile.
We ordered a selection of tapas and dug in. A small
flatbread pizza arrived first, topped with basil and
mint pesto, cheese and grapes! The menu said figs
– they must have run out – but the grapes added an
interesting note of sweetness to this savoury bite. This
was followed by a mixed platter of empanadas. If you
haven’t met one before, it usually looks like a mini
pasty, with any number of possible fillings. These ones
were a mix of sweet potato and slow cooked beef, but
wrapped in a flaky filo pastry, instead of the heavier one
I am used to. A Tortilla Española – Spanish omelette
filled with potatoes – was surprisingly light and airy,
but a little bland. The selection of olives was quite the
opposite, as the olives had been tossed in a spicy, olive
oil marinade that we gobbled up, calling for bread to
wipe out the bowl once the olives were all gone (very
quickly!) .
The charred lamb sausages with cannellini beans
and salsa verde were superb. I could cheerfully have

Bar Celona Resaurant
warded off the competition and eaten them all myself,
but the boys were faster. We had the same response
to the dish of moist albondigas (meatballs) stewed in
saffron, allspice and tomato. That’s the only problem
with good tapas – there’s never enough to go round
more than once!
Full and sleepy, the kids headed back to the hotel,
while my husband and I decided to do a circuit of the
old town. It proved to be a good decision on our part.
It wasn’t a long walk, but round the corner we found a
quiet, leafy street aptly named Green Street. Colonel
Green had obviously owned a fair stretch of this road,
and had also built the beautiful, turn-of-the-century block
of apartments on the corner. (1909 I think was etched
into the wall.) It looked like a vast Spanish villa, with
pretty balconies overlooking shady, verdant lawns that
spread across into the neighbouring park: Pasadena’s
own Central Park.
By then, the tapas had settled and dessert required
further exploration. As it turned out, we were spoilt for
choice. Two doors down from where we had eaten
lunch, we found a small gelateria, where everyone was
struggling to choose less than half a dozen flavours from
a delicious display of twenty four. My coconut and lemon
waffle cone proved to be a perfect combination of zesty
and creamy.
Further down West Colorado Boulevard was a local
chocolate shop where the chocolates are made on site
(and it was listed on the official food tour). In typical
super-size me tradition the truffles were huge and the
slabs of chocolate fudge were bejewelled with M&Ms,
Oreos, peanut brittle and other childhood favourites.
Around the corner ‘lette macaroons had filled their
windows with silver branches decorated with macaroons
of pastel pink, chartreuse, lemon yellow, tangerine
and raspberry. The counter held a tempting display of
twelve different flavours (pistachio, chocolate, raspberry,
passionfruit…) that were presented to us beautifully
boxed for the meager price of $19.90 per dozen. (I say
meager as a recent and besotted convert to macaroons
who would happily pay any price and then lock myself in
the bathroom with the box to avoid sharing!)
Old Pasadena is choc-a-block with restaurants cafes
and wine bars, whose buildings have all been lovingly
restored. It also has some great boutiques, art
collections and antique shops. A popular area with 20 th
century millionaires, there are several grand houses
on the outskirts of town that are open to the public,
owned by such wealthy individuals as David Gamble,
the Proctor & Gamble heir, and railroad magnate Henry
Huntingdon. I began to see why the grumpy woman in
the information booth thought we should stay longer, but
we were only there for the food, so by now, our hunger
totally assuaged, we headed home.
Thank you for being a part of the ADBSA which is made up of an exciting
and dynamic group willing to make a difference. Your support helps the
ADBSA continue its work with outreach for the Social Welfare Committee
and the Scholarship Committee projects.
Make a difference.
Renew your membership with the form on page 26.
11

12
COOKING
CHOCOLATE AROUND THE WORLD
Since its introduction to Europe in the 16th century, chocolate has been one of the favorite
ingredients all over the world, especially for desserts. But this product has been used since
500 AD by the Mayans.
It seems that the Aztec emperor, Montezuma,
liked chocolate so much that he drank fifty golden
goblets of chocolate per day. An interesting detail is
also that for him just the beverage was valuable,
because once finished drinking, he threw the golden
goblets away. Not only Montezuma had this idea, it
is known that cacao beans were used as currency by
several native South and Central Americans at that
time.
The name seems to have come from the
Maya language (and not from the Nahuatl, as many
think). The Mexican philologist Ignacio Dávila Garibi,
proposed that the “Spaniards had coined the word
by taking the Mayan word chocol and then replacing
the Maya term for water -haa- with the Aztec one atl.
There is also Michael Coe’s theory that the word came
from the Maya verb chokola’j which means to drink
chocolate together.
The natives took the chocolate with chili pepper.
We can suppose that the taste was not enjoyed by the
Ingredients:
Choux pastry
• 100 g (3 1/2 oz.) water
• 40 g (1 1/2 oz.) unsalted butter, cubed
Europeans in the beginning. Soon in Europe the chili
pepper was replaced by sugar, and became a luxury
that normally only nobles could afford. The beverage
was very popular among English royalty during the 17th
century. It was the Dutch chocolatemaker Conrad J. van
Houten who in 1828 patented an inexpensive method
for pressing the fat from roasted cacao beans along
with other processes to create a fine powder known
as “cocoa”. The powder was then treated with alkaline
salt that helped the water mix easily. The creation of
powdered chocolate made it easier to mix with water,
sugar and a combination of other ingredients to make
chocolate a solid form. Many other chocolate makers
began to build on Van Houten’s success to make a
variety of chocolate products.
Today, several countries are famous for their
chocolates, including Switzerland, France, and
Belgium. Also, chocolate recipes are very popular.
Here are some of the most famous recipes from around
the world.
FRANCE
Chocolate Profiteroles (Profiteroles au Chocolat)
• 80 g (3 oz.) plain flour
• 2 large eggs
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) sugar
• 1 pinch salt
Garnish
• 400 mL (14 oz.) vanilla ice cream
• 250 g (9 oz.) plain dark chocolate
• 90 mL (6 tbsp.) single cream
• 45 L (3 tbsp.) milk
Directions:
• Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C).
• For the choux pastry, pour the water,
salt and butter in a medium sized saucepan. Bring to
boil and let the butter melt completely.
• Remove from heat and add flour and
sugar all together. Mix with wooden spoon until

thoroughly mixed. Note: the pastry must be shaped
in a ball and not stick to the bottom of the pan.
Refrigerate for a few minutes.
• Add 2 eggs in the paste and beat
vigorously mixing it well.
• On baking sheet, make paste into small
balls (size of 2 teaspoons). Make sure to leave space
in between balls so they will not stick together.
• Bake for 20 minutes. Turn off oven and
leave oven door half open for 15 minutes to let the
choux dry.
Ingredients:
• 6 eggs, separated
• 175 mL (3/4 cup) sugar
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) cornstarch
• 175 mL (3/4 cup) milk
• 2 mL (2 tsp.) vanilla extract
• 2 large sweet oranges
• 625 g (1 1/4 lb) chopped semi-sweet
chocolate
• 45 mL (3 tbsp.) unsalted butter
• whipped cream
Directions:
• Beat the egg yolks with the sugar
until fluffy. Add the cornstarch, milk and vanilla
together and heat gently in a double boiler until
slightly thickened, stirring constantly.
• Use a sharp and pointed knife to cut the
choux in half.
• For the chocolate sauce, cut the
chocolate into small pieces. Add the milk and
chocolate in a saucepan and melt over low heat,
stirring constantly. If chocolate sticks to pan, add 1 or
2 spoons of water. Add the cream and mix.
• In each choux, place a small ball of ice
cream and pour chocolate sauce on top. Must be
served right away.
Note: The choux may be done a few hours ahead.
SPAIN
Chocolate cream (Crema De Chocolate)
• Finely grate the rind of one orange and
add to the custard along with the chocolate. Continue
to heat gently, stirring regularly until the chocolate
has completely melted.
• Remove from heat. Stir in the butter
and let it cool to room temperature.
• Whip the egg whites until stiff and
glossy and fold into the mousse. Spoon into 6 tall
dessert glasses and chill.
• Use a vegetable peeler to peel thin
rinds off the other orange and slice into very fine
shreds. Boil with 30 mL (2 tbsp.) of sugar and 30 mL
(2 tbsp.) of water until crystallized, about 5 minutes.
Remove and separate with a fork and dry on a rack.
• Top each mousse with a swirl of cream
and garnish with the crystallized orange rind.
Enjoy!
FINLAND
Finnish Chocolate Pudding (Suklaapuuro)
Ingredients:
• 500 mL (2 cups) milk
• 30 mL (2 tbsp.) sugar
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) powdered cocoa
• 75 mL (1/3 cup) farina
• dash of salt
Directions:
• Boil the milk. Combine the cocoa
and farina with the salt and sugar. Stir into the
milk.
• Continue cooking, stirring
constantly, until thickened.
Serves 4 people.
13

Ingredients:
Chocolate Meringue
• 2 egg whites at room temperature
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 50 mL (3 tbsp.) cocoa
Coffee Meringue
• 2 egg whites at room temperature
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) granulated sugar
• 5 mL (1 tsp.) instant coffee granules,
crushed to a fine powder
Filling
• 350 mL (1 1/2 cups) milk
• 7 g (1/4 oz.) unflavoured gelatin
powder
• 75 mL (1/3 cup) granulated sugar
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) all-purpose flour
• 4 egg yolks
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) instant coffee
granules, crushed to a fine powder
• 1 mL (1/4 tsp.) salt
• 250 mL (1 cup) whipped cream
Directions:
• For the chocolate meringue, beat egg
whites in a small mixing bowl until soft. Gradually
add sugar and beat until sugar is completely
dissolved and mixture becomes stiff. Fold in cocoa.
Ingredients:
• 340 g (12 oz.) unsweetened
chocolate
• 1500 mL (6 cups) hot water
• 50 mL (1/4 cup) sugar
• 50 mL (1/4 cup) half and half
14
UNITED KINGDOM
Coffee Meringue
RUSSIA
Chocolate drink (Shokolad-Gliase)
Lightly grease 8" (20 cm) spring form pan. Spread with
meringue and smooth the top. Bake in 250°F (130°C)
oven for approximately 45 minutes until dry and crisp.
Leave meringue in oven for 2 hours after heat is turned
off. Let it cool.
• For the coffee meringue, beat egg whites
in a small mixing bowl until soft. Gradually add sugar,
and coffee powder, beating until soft. Mark rings on foil
5 1/2 and 2 1/2 inches (14 and 6 cm) in diameter. Pipe
meringue over ring line about 3/4 inch in width. Pipe
remaining meringue in strips of any length on the same
pan or another pan. Bake at 250°F (130°C) for about
45-50 minutes until crisp and dry. Allow to cool then
remove from foil. If rings break they can be put together
again.
• For the filling, pour milk into a saucepan.
Sprinkle gelatin over milk and leave it for 5 minutes.
Over medium heat, stir regularly to dissolve gelatin.
Bring to a boil.
• In a small bowl, mix sugar and flour. Add
the egg yolks, coffee and salt and stir thoroughly. Add
to boiling milk, stirring until mixture thickens and comes
to a boil. Remove from heat and chill covered until it
begins to set.
Beat cream until texture is stiff. Fold into rest of filling.
Spread meringue with 1/2 filling. Carefully lay coffee
meringues on top. Cover with the second 1/2 filling.
Allow this to chill. Remove ring from the pan and
crumble meringue sticks. Before serving, sprinkle
coffee meringue with crumble meringue. Enjoy!
Serves 8.
• 30 mL (2 tbsp.) liqueur (Cherri-Swiss,
Amaretto di Saronno, Kirsch, or similar liqueur)
• 250 mL (1 cup) whipped cream
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) grated semi-sweet
chocolate
Directions:
• Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
• After chocolate has melted, add 50 mL
(1/4 cup) hot water stirring with a wire whisk to get an
even consistency. Add the remaining hot water and the
50 mL (1/4 cup) sugar. Stir until thoroughly blended.
• Pour into a pitcher with the half and half.
Refrigerate for two hours or until cold. Next, stir in
liqueur and pour into six tall glasses, top each with 35
mL (2 1/2 tablespoons) of whipped cream.
• Garnish with grated chocolate and serve.

Ingredients:
• 200 g (7 oz.) butter
• 150 g (5 oz.) castor sugar
• 4 eggs
• 120 g (4 oz.) flour
• 5 mL (1 tsp.) baking powder
• 30 g (1 oz.) ground almonds
• 100 g (3.5 oz.) cooking chocolate
Ingredients:
Cake
• 450 mL (2 cups) all-purpose flour
• 225 mL (1 cup) granulated sugar
• 12 mL (2 1/2 tsp.) baking powder
• 5 mL (1 tsp.) salt
• 125 mL (1/2 cup) butter or margarine,
softened
• 225 mL (1 cup) milk
• 1 egg
• 5 mL (1 tsp.) vanilla
Filling
• 225 mL (1 cup) milk
• 50 mL (1/4 cup) granulated sugar
• 30 mL (2 tbsp.) cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 2 mL (1/2 tsp.) vanilla
Glaze
• 250 mL (1 cup) icing sugar
• 30 mL (2 tbsp.) cocoa
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) butter or margarine,
melted
• 15 mL (1 tbsp.) water
• 1 mL (1/4 tsp.) vanilla
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F (180°C).
For the cake, mix all ingredients into a large bowl.
Beat until smooth, about 2 to 3 minutes. Turn into 2
round 8 or 9 inch (20 or 22 cm) layer pans. Bake for
about 25 minutes or until an inserted pick comes out
clean. Allow it to cool.
For the filling, bring milk to a boil in a medium sized
saucepan. In a small bowl, mix together sugar,
INDIA
Chocolate Almond Delight
USA
Boston Cream Pie
Directions:
• Cream butter and sugar together, adding
in egg yolks. Whisk egg whites until smooth. Fold in
sieved flour, ground almonds, egg whites and melted
chocolate.
• Bake in a pan for 350°F (180°C) for 30
minutes.
• For the topping, melt 200 g (7 oz.) of
chocolate in a double boiler and pour it onto the cake.
Decorate with almond flakes and cherries.
Serves 8 people.
cornstarch, egg and vanilla. Stir into boiling milk until
it boils and starts to thicken. Remove from heat. Allow
it to cool. For the cake, you may use 1 or 2 layers.
Using 2 layers makes a larger cake. But if using 1
layer, slice in half to make 2 thin layers. Sandwich
together with filling.
For the glaze, mix all ingredients together in a bowl. If
needed, add water to make a barely pourable glaze.
Spread evenly over cake. Allow a bit to run down the
sides.
Serves 8.
Source: The World Atlas of Chocolate, http://www.sfu.
ca/geog351fall03/groups-webpages/gp8/index.html
Photos: Wikipedia.
15

16
RESTAURANT REVIEW
Once upon a time, an Aussie wandered east to
California, to train as a chocolatier. Returning to Sydney
some time later, he created a range of chocolatedipped
fruit, fresh, dried and glace that he called
Naughty Fruits. He supplied these to delis and cafes in
Sydney before eventually moving to Melbourne. There
the chocolatier and his family wove their magic at the
first Chocolate Fire Coffee Lounge in the centre of the
chocolate capital of Australia.
Now, grab my hand and we will whiz through time to
September 2011. Chocolate Fire has vanished in a puff
of smoke from central Melbourne, but has magically
reappeared in the heart of Salcedo Village in Manila.
“Why Manila?” you ask, as did I. As the magician’s
daughter Koby was upstairs designing a chocolate
wedding cake, her new husband Casey explained the
family history.
The Parcell family first came to Manila in the early
80’s. A far cry from chocolate-making, Peter was on
a mission to run around
the world. One stage
included running the
length of the Philippines,
from Ilocos Norte to the
Malacanang Palace in
Manila. During this visit,
the family fell in love with
the Philippines and the
warmth of the Filipinos
and soon returned. They
made an early attempt
to start a business here
with “Fudgies.” Despite
the infamous Filipino
sweet tooth, the locals weren’t too sure what to do
with fudge and the idea never really took off. In the
meantime, however, running became a family pastime.
To celebrate the fifth anniversary of Peter’s first run
Chocolate Fire in
Salcedo Village
by Alexandra Gregori
Koby’s sister, aged only fourteen, ran the length of
the country with her father, at the particular request of
President Corazon Aquino.
Several years later, with the success of Chocolate
Fire in Melbourne, investors suggested developing
the brand internationally. After much debate, it was
decided that Asia might provide a better market than
the States, and Manila, strategically placed, English
speaking, and still friendly would be the best starting
point. The café in Melbourne was sold, but the family
took the name and
the product with them
and Chocolate Fire
opened for business
in the Philippines in
March 2010.
Walking into
Chocolate Fire is a
delight, even if you
are not a chocoholic. Slabs of chocolate, truffles and
cakes elbow for room inside the glass display counters.
And I was like a kid at Christmas when I started to
notice a vein of Aussie nostalgia running through the
cafe.
Chocolate frogs and chocolate crocodile lollipops;
cornflake crackles, the mainstay of every 70’s children’s
party; chocolate dipped ANZAC biscuits; a slab of
chocolate bark called True Blue, full of Macademia nuts
(yum!) AND the honey comb crunch, a firm favourite
with every visiting Australian, and a close relation to
the long-time Aussie favourite, Violet Crumble.
The chocolate dipped fruit strikes a chord with the
locals: Californian strawberries, orange slices and
dried figs, as well as local fruits in season such as
pineapple, mango and papaya.

Kids love the chocolate lollipops and the Baby Chinos,
and the coffee is the best I have found in Manila. Planning
a romantic tête-a-tête? Try the chocolate fondue for
two with a bottle of wine. Or for a ladies lunch, there
are fabulous toasted sandwiches, something I fear I
will be revisiting on a daily but doubtless calorific basis!
Perhaps you are thinking of Christmas? There are
some lovely boxed treats for family, staff and friends.
And there are some great little dome-shaped, muffinsized
cakes called ‘blobs,’ that come in chocolate,
banana and carrot.
Chocolate Fire also supplies other cafés, and is happy
to cater for private events in the upstairs lounge. An
earlier dip into the World Wide Web found Chocolate
Fire starring in popular blog ‘Our Awesome Planet’
when the author’s son Raphael had his baptism party
there, complete with white-chocolate-angel-cupcake.
My son recently decided to have his sixteenth birthday
there. Simple but sweet: Spaghetti Bolognese and
chocolate fondue – at the same time, if you don’t mind!
Continued from Page 4
Another major factor was the unfinished dyke which
was useless on the situation. The water was flooding
for ten days. The Mayor explained that a total of 30,000
homes were affected by the flooding as a result of the
typhoons, spring tide and opening of the flood gates
on an upstream dam. Each household is composed
in average of five members, including two to three
children. Five fishering villages and two islands were
most affected. The water was chest deep for a period
of about three weeks and most of the livelihood of
these people (fish and prawn farming) was destroyed,
putting them out of income for a 6-month period. Even
the municipality was under water, and has lost a lot of
equipment. During the flooding, most of the population
was sheltered in the town’s mall – Puso – that, because
of its construction, was the only place high enough to
escape the water, and so used as a relief center.
Points of interest
The kids’ choice, not Koby’s,
I hasten to add.
Koby apparently excels at
creating buzz for the café.
“Twitter is a really strong
tool for us” says Casey. And
new creations pop up on their Facebook page daily,
although Koby laughingly says she’s run out of room
on the register and has told Peter to slow down on the
inventing.
When dropping in for the BEST mortadella paninis,
I asked my sons if I could pick them up some treats.
‘What is your favourite?’ I foolishly asked. Anything and
everything it seems. “Mum, its chocolate!”
And my favourite? Without a doubt, the pyramids of
dark chocolate heavily flavoured with chili to make your
tongue tingle, known as Volcanoes! Happy days…
After the flooding, they encountered other problems,
such as how to get rid of the garbage effectively.
Luckily for Hagonoy, the typhoon did not leave them
with an epidemic situation. Just a few isolated cases
of diarrhea and skin diseases, quickly controlled, have
appeared. The Mayor thanks ADBSA SWC for the help
during that awful period, and is very optimistic for the
future. He has learnt a lot from this experience in this and
previous floods: “After that I feel that all other problems
are simple. We have to learn from this experience”.
So, he is putting in place disaster management
strategies, including early warning systems, and waste
management systems to take care of the rubbish.
Information about Hagonoy Municipality: http://www.
hagonoybulacan.gov.ph/
• National Shrine of St. Anne in the Philippines is a 16th century church
that holds the relics of St. Anne from the International Shrine of St.
Anne in Quebec, Canada and also the relics of St. Joaquim.
• Bulacan Garden – located in Barangay San Agustin.
• Aroma Beach is a sandy beach known for its aromatic shrubs. It is
frequented by local picnickers during summer months.
• Various antique houses and barangays of the great heroes and statesmen
of the Philippines.
17

18
THEIR CORNER
My Favorite Sport : Boxing!
My favorite boxer is Muhammad Ali, the famous boxer
who could “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee”.
Muhammad Ali has inspired me to start boxing. This
sport was first introduced in the 1920’s. The sport
started as bare-knuckle fighting with no protective gear.
Then, in the 1930’s and 1940’s, boxing with protective
gear started. This sport still exists because it is so
popular.
I started boxing this year in the beginning of February.
I liked it a lot on my first day and still am keen on it. I
would recommend this to anyone who is keen on trying
out a new sport or fitness program. A few things you
need to get are, hand wraps, boxing gloves, and a
mouth guard. You can rent these at the gym at first
and then buy them for your own use. Hand wraps are
necessary so that they can protect your hands from
knuckle and finger bruises and blisters. These are
made of stretchable cloth. Boxing gloves give you
support to throw your powerful punches. The gloves
are made of leather and there are different sizes for
different sized hands. Last of all is the mouth guard,
which protects your teeth from powerful blows to your
face, if you are not defending yourself during a match
or sparring round. These are made out of rubber and
are all the same size. You would need those only if you
continue to do your boxing seriously and reach the level
needed for sparring.
At Elorde Gym, where I box, there is a similar routine
for most people throughout an hour of workout. First
of all, I start off with some stretching and warm-up
by Krishna Goswami
exercises. I then do 3 rounds of skipping rope. One
round is 3 minutes long. Jumping rope helps you stay
on your toes in the ring. Secondly, I put on my hand
wraps and do 3 rounds of speed ball. The speed ball
helps your concentration, hand-eye coordination, and
speed. Then you do mitt sparring with a coach. In
this, your coach holds up two mitts and directs you
through a series of punches for you to be efficient with
your timing, power usage and technique in matches. I
do 3 rounds of it too. Then, you test your reflexes with
the fast-moving hanging ball. Last, the use of gloves
and your skill is tested by the classic boxing bag. The
boxing bag builds your strength. To make yourself even
stronger, you do an abdominal work out. This might be
tiring but helpful and effective.
I box at the Elorde Boxing Gym in Makati in the
Prudential Life Building on Pasay Road. The price for
members is P 200 per session (about an hour) and
P350 for non-members.
Boxing is a great sport for everyone but it’s especially
nice for teenagers. We are so hard-pressed for time
that it’s nice not to have to reserve courts and schedule
sessions in advance. Whenever I feel like a bit of
exercise, I can go to the gym. When I make an effort
and do a good job at mitt-sparring, my coach says to
me “Krishna, you will make a good boxer some day!”
If your children are budding writers and have
something to share with other kids, please
send us their contribution for
‘THEIR CORNER’

BOOK REVIEW
The Night Before the Worst Day
by Alexandra Gregori
On a recent trip to New York, my daughter and I
discovered a small church opposite the site of the
World Trade Center that was destroyed before the eyes
of the world in September 2001. The oldest church in
Manhattan, St. Paul’s Chapel overlooks Ground Zero
and has touchingly and tastefully enshrined the global
messages of love and support that poured in after this
heart-stopping event. It touched us like none of the
countless media news reports and video clips of that
unprecedented horror had done.
At the same time, on billboards all over the city, we saw
advertisements for a newly released movie starring
Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks. Directed by Stephen
Daldry, director of Billy Elliott and The Hours, Extremely
Loud & Incredibly Close is the film adaptation of the
book of the same name by Jonathan Safran Foer. We
decided we needed to read the book before we saw
the movie.
Published in 2005, this book is the heart-rending and
powerful story of a nine-year-old boy, Oskar Schell,
trying to come to terms with the death of his father,
who had been killed in the collapse of the World Trade
Center.
Academically bright, highly sensitive and decidedly
eccentric, Oskar is the primary narrator. His streamof-consciousness
narrative is reminiscent of Holden
Caulfield in Catcher in the Rye. His story begins with
the description of a game that he and his father had
created.
A great game that Dad and I would sometimes play on
Sundays was Reconnaissance Expedition. Sometimes
the Reconnaissance Expeditions were extremely
simple… and sometimes they were incredibly
complicated.
During what becomes their last game together, his
father’s final message ‘We will not stop looking,’ is
ringed in red pen in a newspaper article.
A year after his father’s death Oskar is still struggling
to overcome his grief, and furious with his mother, who
doesn’t appear to be grieving at all.
I still had an extremely difficult time doing certain
things… [and] there was a lot of stuff that made me
panicky…
Exploring his father’s closet one evening, he finds a
‘weird-looking key’ inside an envelope inside a blue
vase that he has just broken.
Oskar sets out on a secret mission to find the
matching lock. This mission involves both a literal
and a psychological voyage of discovery. Travelling
across the five boroughs of New York, he meets many
survivors whose experiences help him move towards
an understanding and acceptance of his loss.
Intertwined with Oskar’s story are those of his paternal
grandparents, related to the reader through the
grandfather’s letters to his son and his grandmother’s
letters to Oskar. Photographs and images are scattered
throughout the text to accompany the narrative.
9/11 is a confronting and uncomfortable subject for
many – not only for those who experienced the tragedy
first hand, but also for those who witnessed 9/11
through the media. By exploring Oskar’s reaction to
his father’s death, we are forced to face the deep
19

emotional toll paid by survivors of this tragedy. By linking
Oskar’s story to those of his grandparents’ experiences
beyond the Holocaust, Foer puts suffering on a wider
spectrum. Yet Oskar and his grandparents also find a
way to move on. It is a message of hope that says life
will continue, despite the grief and sadness we must all
inevitably encounter.
This is Foer's second novel. Foer’s unusual writing
20
techniques caused a furor of criticism, both glowing and
scathing. Despite diverse reactions from the critics, the
novel became a New York Times bestseller and has
been translated into several languages. Whether you
like it or not, Foer’s style is fascinating. As Oskar’s
character and story unfolds, his grandparents' input
adds background and depth. I found it to be a hard
book to put down.

Getting an Education in Wine at Enderun
by Alexandra Gregori
I love wine but, like many of us, I know far less about
it than I would like. And the more I learn the more I
realize I how far I still have to go.
I have a reasonable knowledge of South Australian
wines – after all that’s where we were first introduced,
back in the mid ‘80s. Since then other New World wines
have come racing onto the scene, while I am still trying
to catch up on the Old World Wines: French labeling
flaws me; Italian and Spanish wines are a mystery.
So I was delighted to discover an introductory wine
appreciation course being held at Enderun Colleges
through Enderun Extension. Enderun Extension
School is the Enderun Colleges resource for continuing
education. It offers diverse short courses, from
certificate courses in Pastry Arts to advanced food
styling and digital photography… and of course wine
appreciation.
Last year, Ruth von Siebenthal Hung, the Principal
Lecturer for Enderun's International Hospitality
Management program joined forces with 101
Restaurant Manager and accredited sommelier Gérald
Savigny. Together they ran a taster course to gauge
local interest. Later in the year they followed up with
a four part programme that aimed to teach wannabe
wine connoisseurs about a range of wine producing
countries in South America, North America and the
Antipodes, as well as the French wine regions of
Bordeaux and Burgundy. Each class consisted of a
lecture and discussion, and finished up with an informal
wine tasting session. The only thing missing was the
food they suggested should accompany it!
At 1,000 pesos per 3 hour session, it was great value.
The classes were highly informative – sometimes even
a little too highbrow for the more amateur amongst us!
It was an interesting journey and a great opportunity
to broaden my horizons beyond our own antipodean
wines. I also enjoyed meeting many local wine lovers,
and talking with them about their own experiences.
Both our lecturers were keen to share their knowledge
and love for oenology with us beginners, and the
atmosphere was comfortably relaxed and casual. They
are planning more, so if you are interested, keep an
eye on their website.
Last year Gérald attended The Wine & Spirit Education
Trust (WSET) Educator's course. Having completed
the first level several years ago, he qualified to be part
of the latest Educator program. Two weeks before they
gathered in Hong Kong, candidates were sent five
possible topics from which they chose one on which to
prepare for a fifteen minute presentation.
Gérald suggests that age and a brain that hadn’t
been overly taxed in a long time, meant hard nights
of study. Despite his decrepitude (he’s considerably
younger than me!) he still passed with flying colours
and is now a certified Wine Educator. He is hoping to
open applications for Enderun’s own WSET certificate
programme by March.
This will be a more sophisticated course than the
previous programmes. There are to levels of study
that will include such topics as basic food and wine
matching, an introduction to the main styles and
varieties of wine, the characteristics of the major grape
varieties and how to deduce the style and flavour of still
and sparkling wines, sweet and fortified wines, spirits
and liqueurs.
In the meantime, I am really looking forward to the wine
and food matching dinners that are coming up in March
at Restaurant 101. Apparently there is also a beer and
food matching dinner, if you prefer, so keep an eye on
the Enderun website: http://www.enderuncolleges.com
or join their mailing list. I’ll see you there, and we can
become wine connoisseurs together!
21

22
WHAT WOULD YOUR CHILD'S YAYA
DO IN AN EMERGENCY?
I recently attended this really amazing life-saving first
aid course. I found it very easy to understand and
learnt a lot of very useful life-saving techniques. I was
really impressed with the instructor's knowledge and
all the available materials. If you have a nanny for the
kids, this is an essential course to send her on.
Knowing what to do in an emergency can save a life.
Giving your child’s yaya or nanny the opportunity to
learn life-saving skills and emergency first aid is an
investment in reassurance, knowing that your children
are in safe, caring hands while you are away with
trained staff in up-to-date first aid skills.
Philippine First Aid is a provider of specialist childcare
and pediatric first aid courses taught by Mr Richard
Hunt, a UK qualified first aid instructor.
The courses offered teach your yaya the skills and
by Marie Emmanuel
Philippine First Aid is a provider of professionally run First Aid courses. Affiliated with a
UK First Aid training provider, they are committed to providing quality first aid training
courses and outstanding services to meet all of your requirements.
confidence in how to respond quickly and effectively to
preserve life, prevent situations from becoming worse
and promote recovery in the event of an emergency.
Richard is an experienced international school teacher,
delivering classes in an informal, fun environment,
and ensuring that every participant learns what to do
confidently.
Courses are taught to small classes (maximum 12
participants) in order to maximise the time available
for your yaya to practice the life-saving first aid skills
and to instill confidence in your yaya so she will know
how to respond.
Tagalog translation is offered where needed from a
Registered Republic of the Philippines Nurse.
This specialist Childcare First Aid course, is approved
by the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) UK and
comes with UK certification which is valid for 3 years.
The syllabus covers but is not limited to: emergency
action procedures; CPR resuscitation for infants,
children and adults, severe bleeding management,
treatment for heat exhaustion/heatstroke, burn
management, drowning, aphylaxis shock, febrile
convulsions; seizures; poisoning; head injuries; eye
injuries and bites and stings.
To date, many yayas have been trained, and are
confidently providing a higher level of care to the
children for whom they are responsible.
Invest in your yaya today; training her to have the
confidence to care.
For more information please visit: www.
philippinefirstaid.com
To inquire: info@philippinefirstaid.com

The Toastmaster’s Apprentice
‘Toastmasters’ is an international club that started
up in 1924, and was designed to create competent
and confident communicators. It currently has over
270,000 members and 13,000 clubs worldwide. ADB
has its own Toastmasters Club which is open to all
ADB employees and their spouses. There have been
over 625 meetings since the club began well over ten
years ago, and members meet every Wednesday from
12 noon – 1 pm in Room 4421/4422W. Its mission
statement claims ‘to promote personal growth by
providing a mutually supportive learning environment
in developing leadership and communication skills.’
When I first joined I was encouraged to attend the club
meetings regularly. As soon as I felt ready, I could
prepare my first short speech, an icebreaker, to be
presented to the other members. Participants also have
the opportunity to give impromptu mini-talks (Table
Topics), develop skills in timekeeping, grammar and
language analysis, conduct meetings and learn about
parliamentary procedure. Thus, experience in public
speaking can also grow into leadership development.
There is no instructor in a Toastmasters meeting.
Instead, members evaluate one another’s presentations
and provide feedback. Current chairperson Marissa
Wenceslao suggests the KKK or ‘Kiss, Kick, Kiss’
method of constructive evaluation, although her ‘Kicks’
are generally too gentle to bruise even the thinnest
skin.
Toastmasters gives you the skills and the confidence
to rise to any occasion, be it as MC at your sister’s
wedding, or simply to give an opinion at a staff meeting.
Recently one member tagged us with the title: ‘the club
where winners are made’ due to the number of awards
our members have been collecting in Toastmasters'
competitions.
I heard of Toastmasters from the spouse liaison when
I first arrived in Manila. At the time, inundated with
information and opportunities, I put the pamphlet at
the back of my desk. Six months later, I had cause
to go looking for it again. I had just presented a paper
at the 2011 Gastronomic Symposium in Canberra, and
had rediscovered the sheer terror I felt about standing
by Alexandra Gregori
in front of a room full of my peers. Give me a group
around a dinner table and I am perfectly at ease, but a
podium and a large audience? Help!
I watched several more practiced speakers, including
my friend Tammi, smiling confidently through their
respective papers, barely looking at their notes, never
struggling for words or hiccupping on ‘umms’ and ‘ahhs’.
Dry-mouthed and shaking, I took my turn, and thanked
God for a reasonable Power Point presentation, that
gave the audience something other than me to look
at. Nonetheless, I was still incredibly wary of taking
my eyes from my notes. As for smiling, I couldn’t have
managed even a quick grin if my life had depended on
it.
So I came home to Manila, rummaged in my desk,
and rang Angel. How did I join? I needed a sponsor,
apparently, but she was happy to do that, and so the
following Wednesday I marched bravely into ADB. I
started gently during the following weeks with a couple
of table topic speeches. These impromptu presentations
are based on a moral or life philosophy picked from
a hat. With only 30 seconds to prepare, and no more
than three minutes speaking time, they are short and
quickly over, but they help build confidence to face that
first ‘proper’ speech.
When I took the plunge at last, I again found my mouth
dry and my hands shaking. Seven minutes seemed to
last a lifetime, but I did it. And I have done five more
speeches since. Each time it gets a little easier, and the
support and encouragement of the club is invaluable. I
am hoping that by the time I attend another Symposium,
I will have completed the basic training of ten speeches
and be as breezily confident as my friend Tammi, or at
least be able to find a smile for my audience!
So do come along and join us – it is challenging, but it
is fun, and a really interesting way to make new friends.
It is also fascinating to learn from other people’s topics
and experiences. Contact any of the following:
President, Maria Wenceslao: mwenceslao@adb.org
Vice President, Juleah Caballo: jcaballo@adb.org
Treasurer, Emil Bolongaita: ebolongaita@adb.org
Secretary, Angel Licup: alicup@adb.org
Mission of the club : To promote personal growth by providing a mutually supportive learning
environment in developing leadership and communication skills.
Meeting schedule : Wednesdays 12:00 noon - 1:00 pm. Room 4421-4422 W
23

24
COFFEE MORNING : NOVEMBER 17, 2011
AT NELVA BAILLE’S RESIDENCE
FESTIVE LUNCH AT
ADB EXECUTIVE DINING ROOM
DECEMBER 9, 2011

Photos by Diya George
25

26
DON’T FORGET TO RENEW!
It is time to make your renewal to the ADBSA. Please, cut or photocopy this form, fill it and submit it to Alexis
Morales, c/o Jose Morales, Room 3404W.
Asian Development Bank Spouses' Association
6 ADB Avenue, Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila
E-mail: adbsamail@gmail.com
www.adbsaweb.org
Year 2012/13
(Please fill in form block letters)
NEW
RENEWAL
NAME (FIRST) (MIDDLE) (LAST)
EMAIL : NATIONALITY:
ADDRESS :
TEL: CELL PHONE :
OCCUPATION:
ARRIVAL DATE IN PHILIPPINES :
SPOUSES NAME :
BIRTH DATE : (DD/MM)
Brief information about yourself :
Please tick if you would like to be involved in the following ADBSA committees or activities:
Social welfare committee Fund raising events Hospitality committee
Scholarship committee Database management Country representatives
Festive committee Hosting coffee mornings General program
Cooking demonstrations Newsletter contribution
Please enclose your annual membership fee of P1200 in cash or cheque made out to ADBSA. ADBSA funds
are used to support charitable work and cover ADBSA expenses. Forms and payments may be submitted to
Alexis Morales, c/o Jose Morales, Room 3404W. Upon receipt, you will be added to our mailing list. Thank you!
For ADBSA internal use only
Annual Membership Fee :
Cash Cheque #
Date of Payment : ADBSA Receipt Number :
Treasurer : Database Manager :

E-MALL: https://e-mall.adb.org/
BILL PAYMENT: Ground floor
PLDT, PSP Counter : (G239)
From 8:30 am to 4:00 pm.
(Also personal Fax Service)
Bayard Center: (G992) Almost all bills can be
paid here.
From 8:30am to 4:00pm.
BANK: Ground floor
BPI : 24-hour ATM service.
Contact Ferdinand Pantangco
Tel.No. 845-5636
Citibank: (G997) From 8:30am to 3:30pm
Contact Chiqui Carlos at local 5251
Export Bank: (G232) From 9:00am to 5:00pm
Contact: Tricia Garces at
local nos. 5310 / 7484
Metro Bank : (G994) From 8:30am to 3:30pm
Extended bank service from
8:30am-5:00pm
Contact: Randal Razo at
local 4200 / 4191
CONVENIENCE STORES: Ground floor
Commissary: Mon to Fri - 8:00am to 6:00pm
Sat - 9:00am to 4:00pm.
(You can order special items.
Ask for the form at the commissary)
Papertrends: (G146) Office Supplies, Magazines,
Philippine made gifts.
LAUNDRY: Ground floor, (G171)
Mon to Fri from 7:30am to 8:00pm
Sat: 8:00am to 5:00pm
Possibility of upholstery cleaning (including pick up)
Also clothes alterations. Call 6325115.
VACCINATIONS: At the Medical Clinic (Second floor)
every 3rd Saturday of the month, dependents can have
their vaccines. Free vaccination for children: Tetanus,
diphtheria, pertussis, polio hepatitis B. Free vaccination
for adults: Hepatitis B, polio. Other vaccinations are
available for a fee. Call for appointments: 6324024
PHARMACY: Second Floor (2860)
From 8:00am to 5:00pm
NOTARY PUBLIC: (G993)
Atty. Isidro Almenteros: Tue. from 9:00am to 12:00nn
ADB SERVICES
INSURANCE COMPANY: Ground Floor
G146 : Lockton Phils. Insurance
Reinsurance Brokers Inc
Winerbrenner &Iñigo
G993 : OMSG Accette Insurance
SOCIAL SECURITY : Ground floor (G993)
SSS: 2nd and 4th Tues. of the month
From 1:00pm to 4:00pm (Ferdie Pangilina)
PhilHealth: 1st and 3rd Tues. of the month
(Lisa Patiño)
TRAVEL AGENCY : Ground Floor
Room G146: American Express, HRG Marsman
Room G993:King of Travel
Room G137E: Rajah Travel
POST OFFICE: Ground floor
(G259) From 9:00am to 5:00pm
INTERNATIONAL COURIER AND MAIL
SERVICE : Ground floor
PSP Counter : (G239)
From 8:00 am. to 6:00 pm.
Lunch: 11:00 am to 12:00 nn
DHL : International courier service
Direct Link : International mail service
TNT : International courier service
Quantium Solutions : Domestic & International
Mail
INTERNET SERVICE : Ground floor
Eastern Telecom: (G239) PSP counter
Monday, Wednesday and Friday
MESSENGER SERVICE: Ground floor
PSP Counter. G239
From 7:30am to 5:00pm (Break 11:00am – 12:00nn)
USEFUL TELEPHONE NUMBRES
Security Detachment Incident Coordinator (IC): +63 2
632 5220/6326 - +63 917 888 6333
Lifeline Ambulance Rescue Inc. (Metro Manila) +63 2
169 11 - +63 2 839 2520 to 2524
Police Assistance (Fire, ambulance, traffic accidents,
etc.) Nationwide 177
27