Pasko at Parol 2016

We have always had a Christmas lantern (parol) diplayed in front of our home even before we had our daughter. We felt it just wasn't as Christmassy without the parol even if we had a nice tree and decorations in our house. Since I always have out of town trips for my projects, I had many opportunities to get a parol from Pampanga and Tarlac during fieldwork there. The first big parol we had was from Tarlac in 2004. I bought it at a roadside shop (MacArthur Highway) where they manufactured and sold lanterns. I actually bought two - one for the office and one for our home. The office lantern survives today and is displayed in front of our building. It just needs some repairs including replacement of many bulbs. 

We noticed our lantern was also already needing some repairs and it seemed not big enough to be prominent on our balcony after we moved into our new home almost 3 years ago. And so the wife made it part of my mission during a trip last November to find us a new parol. I did find one in Pampanga where they make really good lanterns. A roadside shop in Mabalacat was the maker of our new parol and my colleagues also got theirs for their homes from the same shop.

Here's a very short video of our new parol. It's attracted quite a number of admirers already and among them children doing their Christmas carol gigs around the village.

A Blessed Christmas to All!
-

A Blessed Christmas to all!

I just want to greet all my readers a Merry Christmas!

May your wishes be granted and may you be safe and healthy with your family.

Peace on earth!
-

Chocolate review: El Rey - Chocolate Blanco Icoa 34% Cacao

I continue on the series on El Rey chocolates here. This time its about their white chocolate that was part of the box of bars given as a gift to my wife by a friend of hers from Venezuela. I wrote before that we didn't usually buy white chocolate as the Clairvoyant and I find white chocolates too sweet for our taste. This was an exception, not just because it was a gift, but because this was no ordinary white chocolate.

El Rey's Chocolate Blanco Icoa claimed 34% cacao, which we found to be unusual for info on a white chocolate bar.

Details on the chocolate is found at the back of the package

This includes the contents or ingredients of this chocolate bar as well as information on nutrition.

The chocolate claims a minimum of 34% cacao and there is information here about the origins of the chocolate and, I assume, about how it is produced.

I would say that this is among the best if not the best white chocolates we've tasted. [I remember that Marriot's white chocolates that they made for Christmas were also good.] The sweetness is just right though we anticipated it to be sweeter (of course) than the dark chocolates and even the milk chocolates we've had before. The wife also enjoyed this and found it not as sweet as the more commercialized or mass produced brands. I would like to have one of these bars again to enjoy in the future.

-