Archive
Kropek
Today, we made kropek during chemistry class using different oils when it came to frying these. Although considering the kropek brands were different, some of the other kropeks stood out, such as the one made with veggie oil. Along with that, the butter also had an interesting taste to the kropek making it a bit sweet then salty. The canola oil wasn’t as good as the others, unless it was just the kropek that tasted weird. All-in-all, all the kropek were probably just as good as all the things I’ve eaten before.
BHA and BHT
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole) and BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene) are added to foods to preserve fats. BHA has the molecular formula C11H16O2. It is a white or yellowish waxy solid. It also has a faint odor. BHT has the molecular formula C15H24O, and it is powdery. Because these two substances are antioxidants, oxygen usually reacts with these two substances instead of the fats, thus preserving the fats. BHA is normally found in butter, meats, cereals etc, and is used to prevent the rancidity of fats. BHT also prevents the rancidity of the fats. Although both have undergone processes by the Food and Drug Administration, they have some health effects that may contribute to carcinogenicity or tumorigneicity. The same reactions also combat oxidative stress. According to the Administration, like most things, when taken in typical amounts, it is not that dangerous.
Comment on VC
One of the most interesting reports that I heard was the one on Lebanon. What actually struck me the most was actually during the introduction of the school in Lebanon. According to the group, their partner school has actually ben to Kenya on a service activity, and this is actually something that impressed me a lot. For Xavier, we’re usually sent to China mainly to improve our Chinese language skills. However, this school actually goes to another country to offer their service to other people. It actually got me curious how they actually get to arrange that kind of activity where they dig wells to supply water to certain communities in Kenya. After their report, I actually asked if their partner school described the activity in detail, but they basically just mentioned the activity instead of narrating it.
FOOOOOOOOOOD.
Being a Filipino, eating food usually involves rice, an ‘ulam (and meat or the like)’ and maybe some soup or dessert. Usually, our ‘ulam’ would be either beef, fish, chicken or pork, but for other countries, their delicacies are quite.. disgusting. Maybe it’s because these food seem to come from the most absurd or outrageous of places like eyeballs and the like. Or maybe it’s because they simply sound disgusting like SPERM, etc. Or maybe it could even be because they just plainly look disgusting and inedible. Being a relatively picky eater, I think food is just anything that’s edible and not disgusting like beef, rice, pork, chips, etc. However, food starts to become weird for me when it looks inedible or smells weird for example dinuguan, etc. I always judge food before eating them, that’s why I become picky. I try to turn away from food that looks disgusting and the like. For example, I find balut, dinuguan, bugs, really really smelly and stinky cheese, and octopus (and other seafood except maybe fish). However, because of my picky nature, the list even narrows down, however, I don’t complain despite not liking it.
After the VC…
After the VC with the UK, who was represented by only three girls, I learned a lot of things, but mainly because we were able to open up about our own culture alongside their opening up about theirs. One of the most important things I learned from the VC was the difference between Material Wealth and Spiritual Wealth. For most people in the Philippines, there seems to be a good priority on Spiritual Wealth because of the difference in social classes, others being less fortunate. However, that spiritual wealth seems to be a uniting factor for the Philippines, except for the fact that certain areas are in conflict because of religion. Also, we talked about how Material Wealth acts as both either a hindrance or an opportunity to uphold Spiritual Wealth, in this case whether or not the two can coexist. For us Xaverians, we are taught to use this material wealth that we have to help others in need, thus enriching ourselves with more of the spiritual wealth. For this VC, it was nice to actually be open about it and actually admitting that we, as Xaverians, allow both kinds of Wealth to coexist. Thus, it became one that was very eye opening and enjoyable for both sides, and even the facilitator.
Sushi's blog 