Category Archives: International

LAGLAG BALA IS OXFORD DICTIONARY’S WORD OF THE YEAR

imagesOXFORD, England (The Adobo Chronicles) – Webster’s Dictionary has chosen its ‘word of the year,’ and it is not really a word. So has Oxford Dictionary, and it’s actually two words.

Webster’s word of the year is the suffix, ‘ism,’ and was the most searched dictionary entry in all of 2015.  People have been searching the meaning of words such as racism, sexism, ageism and terrorism.  Webster says it’s a reflection of what people around the world have been reading  in the news, or concerned about as they go about their everyday lives in these troubled times.

Oxford Dictionary, on the other hand, has chosen an international word(s) for its new 2015 entry: laglag bala. 

Laglag bala refers to a scheme at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) whereby unsuspecting passengers are questioned and detained for having live bullets in their luggage.  It appears that the scheme is part of a modus operandi by some unscrupulous airport personnel aimed at extorting money from local and foreign passengers.

Laglag bala was the most searched term in Oxford Dictionaries, online and off-line and has dominated local and international news for most of the last quarter of 2015.

Yet another international record for the Philippines!

 

THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MISS PHILIPPINES PIA WURTZBACH’S NATIONAL COSTUME

imageLAS VEGAS, Nevada (The Adobo Chronicles) – There is no giant wedding cake for Miss Philippines’ national costume in this weekend’s Miss Universe Pageant.

After taking much flak for MJ Lastimosa’s Colombian-designed national costume at the last pageant, Binibining Pilipinas Charities left no stone unturned to make sure that Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach’s national costume this time around is Filipino-designed and truly representative of indigenous culture.

Now that Wurtzbach’s national costume has been unveiled, Filipinos are united in praising the design inspired by the Philippine coral, capiz chandelier, hand-stitched placemat and the favorite Filipino food, fresh lumpia.

We wish Miss Philippines all the luck!

DID MISS PHILIPPINES JUST LIE?

 

imageLAS VEGAS, Nevada (The Adobo Chronicles) –On the eve of the Miss Universe Pageant’s preliminaries, Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach posted a photo on her social media account of her official evening gown for the contest.  But whoa! When she appeared on stage Wednesday night, she wore a different gown altogether.

Instead of wearing the green Albert Andrada gown she posted on social media, Wurtzbach donned a bright red OIiver Tolentino gown.

Did she just lie to her fans?

Relax.

Due to typhoon Nona, the flight of Andrada to the USA was cancelled last Tuesday. Albert was supposed to bring two evening gowns for Pia to choose from for the Miss Universe 2015 preliminary event. To save the day, Pia’s mentor, Jonas Gaffud, went to his back-up plan and contacted Los Angeles-based Filipino designer, Oliver Tolentino, who was already vacationing in Aspen. Tolentino immediately instructed his staff to rush several gowns to Las Vegas after receiving the news.

The moral of the story: don’t count your eggs before they’re hatched.