Yearly Archives: 2014

Food, Law Enforcement

OKRA IS NOW ILLEGAL IN THE U.S.

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imageAtlanta, Georgia (The Adobo Chronicles) – Okra, that bright green and slimy vegetable which is a main ingredient in the Filipino dish pinakbet and that popular fried delicacy in many U.S. southern states, has just been declared illegal by the American government.

Georgia police raided a retired Atlanta man’s garden last Wednesday after a helicopter crew with the Governor’s Task Force for Drug Suppression spotted suspicious-looking plants on the man’s property. A heavily-armed K9 unit arrived and discovered that the plants were, in fact, okra bushes.

“Okra looks a lot like marijuana (cannabis) plants so they have to be confiscated or destroyed and their owners prosecuted,” a spokesperson for the Georgia police told reporters.

Okra growers in California and other states were shocked at the new government policy and are planning a million march in Washington, D.C. sometime this month which happens to be Filipino American Heritage Month.

“No one can take away my pinakbet from me,” said Juan dela Cruz, an 88 year-old World War II Filipino veteran who lives in Delano, California.

International, Politics, Travel

PRESIDENT AQUINO WANTS MANILA’S INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT RENAMED

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imageManila, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Manila’s International Airport is named after his late father, but Philippine President Noynoy Aquino wants the name changed. This, after the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) again got ranked as one of the world’s worst airports.

According to a list compiled by US website Cheat Sheet, NAIA is among the 10 worst airports in the world because of its poor facilities and long queues. Cheat Sheet also cited the airport’s “impolite” staff, despite Filipinos being known around the world for their warmth.

The article also mentioned the airport’s overcapacity, which has resulted to long lines that begin outside the terminal. Some  32 million passengers use NAIA each year despite the fact that it only has the capacity for 6 million passengers.

In 2013, NAIA was named worst airport in the world by travel website Sleeping In Airports, which asked travelers to rank airports based on comfort, conveniences, cleanliness, and customer service.

In talking to reporters, President Aquino said that he doesn’t want the Aquino name to be dragged for anything that is negative and unpopular.  Asked if he had any new name in mind for the airport, Aquino said, “For all I care, they can name it Gloria Macapagal Arroyo International Airport,” referring to his predecessor and political nemesis.

Aquino has consistently blamed Arroyo for all the ills and problems now faced by the Philippines.

Upon hearing about Aquino’s statement, Representative and former First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos proposed that NAIA be renamed Ferdinand E. Marcos International Airport.

Ninoy Aquino was assassinated in the tarmac of the airport during the regime of Ferdinand Marcos.

Politics, Tourism, Travel

A PRESIDENT OBAMA BEACH IN HAWAII?

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imageHonolulu, Hawaii (The Adobo Chronicles) – Hawaii may not get a Presidential Library, but it may get a Presidential Beach, if Honolulu City Council member Stanley Chang gets his way.

Chang and fellow council member Ernie Martin are hoping to rename Sandy Beach Park to President Barack Obama Sandy Beach Park. It comes after a video was taken of the President bodysurfing back in August 2008.

Known for its powerful waves and white sandy beaches, Sandy Beach Park is one of the most scenic spots on Oahu.

“We’ve already included funding in the past year’s budget for a plaque commemorating his love for bodysurfing there, and we hope to generate additional interest in the park. We hope to have it as an additional showcase for residents and visitors from all over the world,” said Chang.

But not everyone is convinced.

“I think you should just leave it as Sandy Beach”, said one beachgoer.

“I don’t think it’s fair because, personally, he’s done nothing for our beach over here,” Waimanalo resident Kanaloa Kane said. “Maybe he did grow up here, but as a local, I’ve been surfing here for 10 years easy and I don’t think it’s fair.”

Is renaming a beach good enough for the President of the United States? Obama doesn’t think so. “Oracle’s Larry Ellison and Facebook’s Mark Mark Zuckerberg get to name entire islands like Lana’i and Moloka’i  after them,” said Obama, “so I’d rather rename  the entire island of my birth place Oahu to Obama Island.”

Chang was disappointed at Obama’s comment, but he seems to be warming up to the idea of renaming the entire Oahu to Obama Island.