Wednesday Wisdom

Hey everyone! How are y'all doing? I hope you'll have an awesome year ahead! It's Wednesday Wisdom. My first post for this year. I will try my very best to   religiously post and update this blog as much as possible. Yeah, it's one of my new year's resolutions. Haha! 

                      Best Wishes! x

 

                               Love, 

                           ★TALA ★

Typhoon Haiyan

Hey guys! I know it's been quite a while since my last post so please forgive my absence. It's been six days since Typhoon Haiyan (known as Yolanda in the Philippines) has shattered the central part of the Philippines. It's been recorded as one of the strongest typhoons ever to make a landfall. It's just so sad because the some of the affected parts haven't really recovered yet from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake last month. I think the typhoon only lasted for a day but still it made a great impact to the Filipinos in the affected areas. Crazy how my homeland is frequently hit by natural disasters.

Though my relatives are safe and sound back home and were not affected by the typhoon, it's heartbreaking to see the aftermath of the said calamity. Just looking at the pictures and reading about it makes me really sad and teary eyed. So much loss, damages and devastation. Right now, thousands of death have been reported and thousands are still missing. A lot of people suffer from injuries and evacuees are needing the primary aids such as food, water, clothes, blanket and shelter. People are clearly in a desperate situation.

I'm also deeply touched because the Filipino spirit is alive and burning. I can see how intense the unity of the people are. I find it overwhelming because a lot of nations extended their help in various ways. Many countries are continually sending troops, donations, goods and aids to the victims of the typhoon. Many actors, actresses and artists in the Philippines have pledged to give some of their income and talent fees also. Other people are also sending letters and stuffs to uplift the spirits of the affected persons.

However, it's sad to know that though the country is receiving much help and donations, many are still hungry and thirsty and badly needing help. These donations will be useless if they wouldn't reach the people in need. I believe that even the smallest act can make a big difference. We can all help through many ways. Even a short prayer would mean a lot. And I encourage you to do so. ;)

Below is a list of organizations, click the links to see how to help the people affected in any kind:

The American Red Cross has launched a family tracing service among other aid operations. If you are unable to reach a family member in the Philippines, you can contact your local chapter of the American Red Cross to initiate a tracing case. Representatives added that it has deployed two people to assist with assessments in the Philippines. It asks those who want to support relief efforts to mail a check to their local American Red Cross chapter, with "Philippines Typhoons and Flood" in the memo line. Go to redcross.org for local chapter information or redcross.org.ph to donate directly to the Philippine Red Cross.

The Philippine Red Crosssaid it has mobilized teams on the ground to help with rescue and relief operations. Click the link to learn more.

UNICEF is taking donations to help provide children with shelter, clean water, nutrition and vaccines. Representatives said its staff in the Philippines is being repositioned to help in relief efforts and 66 tons of emergency supplies are being sent from Copenhagen. An airlift set to arrive on Tuesday will include water purification systems, storage equipment and sanitation supplies. Donations can be made to UNICEF at unicef.org/support.

World Food Programme (WFP), a United Nations organization, said it will send more than 40 tons of high energy biscuits and work with the Filipino government to help with logistics and emergency communications systems. Representatives said they have allocated $2 million for the disaster response and officials joined an assessment mission to survey damage in Leyte and Samar provinces. It asks for donations at www.wfpusa.org or by texting the word AID to 27722 to instantly donate $10.

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has launched a $10 million appeal and sent an emergency team to Manila who have already started to work on the ground. For more information, visit www.rescue.org.

Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors without Borders) has organized teams of doctors, nurses, surgeons, psychologists, water and sanitation experts and other specialists to respond to the typhoon’s aftermath. The organization is also dispatching nine cargo planes loaded with tons of water, sanitation and medical supplies. The humanitarian cargo includes medical kits for treating the wounded, equipment for medical consultations, tetanus vaccines, relief items such as tents and hygiene kits, water and sanitation equipment and, if needed, an inflatable hospital, said spokesman Tim Shenk. Some of the group’s medical teams were already in place in Cebu Tuesday, but blocked roads, a damaged airport and bad weather have made access to affected areas particularly difficult. 

Save the Children is also mounting disaster relief efforts to help children and families in the region with emergency assistance.

Catholic Relief Services is accepting donations on its website as it begins moving supplies and staff to respond to the typhoon.

World Vision said it will provide food and water to those in evacuation shelters. Representative said it is putting together resources to assist 1.2 million people, including food, hygiene kits, emergency shelter and protection. It asked for one-time donations to be made at worldvision.org.

Habitat for Humanity plans to offer shelter repair kits for families who need to re-build their damaged houses.

Operation USA said it will allocate donations directly to relief and recovery efforts.

National Alliance for Filipino Concerns (NAFCON) has created a disaster relief fund for victims in the Philippines.

The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee has begun collecting donations for relief efforts. To contribute, go to www.jdc.org or call 212-687-6200.

Mercy Corps is accepting donations on its website as emergency responders move food, water, shelter and other supplies to the region.

ChildFund International has been in the Philippines since 1954. The organization is distributing clean water, food and other household items to victims of the typhoon. It is in the process of setting up child-centered spaces in evacuation centers to provide counsel and relief to children and families affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan.

International Medical Corps deployed an emergency response team of medical personnel and sanitation experts to the Philippines to and is accepting donations through their website in order to ship medicine, clean water and food. They are also asking for $10 donations by texting MED to 80888. Infection control is a priority “to keep those already healthy, healthy,” and “medical and social interventions are needed,” to help those who have been injured and displaced,” said Noel Miranda, leader of the Philippines team. 

The Salvation Army is also asking for $10 donations by text. One hundred percent of money donated by sending TYPHOON to 80888 or through their website will be used to sort, ship and distribute donated goods.

Direct Relief has shipped 1.5 tons of medicine, nutritional supplements and first aid supplies to the Philippines and hope to ship more with the help of donations through their website. They have also partnered with Team Rubicon, a veterans’ disaster response organization, who is helping Direct Relief drop off portable kits to displaced survivors.

Apple has created an option in the iTunes Store allowing iTunes customers to donate, and iTunes will transfer 100 percent of donations to the American Red Cross. Donor support will provide shelter, food, emotional support and other assistance to victims of all disasters. 

Google has also launched a person finder.

AT&T and Verizon are offering free calls and texts to the Philippines for customers trying to contact friends and family there in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan.

Mammoth Medical brought a team of surgeons, doctors and medical support volunteers to the Philippines. The group is equipped with three surgical teams and more than 30 parcels of medical supplies as well as a self-contained surgical tent. Click the link for more information. 

Oxfam teams on the ground are reporting an urgent need for food, clean water, medicine and shelter. Teams are ready to deploy water and sanitation materials to those affected but need help to scale up their response. 

Team Rubicon is working to facilitate search and rescue efforts and provide medical triage for a field hospital in Tacloban. Click the link for more information. 

If you're interested to send donations, please be careful and beware of scams. 

Information and pictures taken from NBCNews, TheGuardian, Rappler, CNN, ABSCBN news and GMA network.

Best Wishes! x

Love, 

★TALA ★

Recipe: Apple Pie

Hey guys! Today, I'm gonna share a recipe to all of you. This is my first recipe post so I hope you'll like it. I've been into cooking and baking for a while now. I never thought I would be able to do it since I don't know anything about cooking just a few years ago. Of course I'm still kind of dependent to some recipes that I find online. It's really helpful especially when you're eager to learn new things.

Since my previous post regards to apple picking, I decided to use those apples and make an apple pie. I've always wanted to make one. So here we go!

INGREDIENTS:

    Pie Crust:

• 2 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 cup unsalted butter (make sure it's frozen)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp sugar
• 5-8 tbsp ice water
• 2-4 tbsp apple cider vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 egg

    Filling:

• 4-5 apples
• 1 lemon
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 pinch salt
• 3 tbsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp cornstarch

PROCEDURE:

     Pie Crust (For those who want an easier life, you can actually buy a ready-made crust)

1. Chop the butter into small pieces. Combine the flour, butter, salt and sugar into the mixing bowl and pulse it. You can use a spoon or a food processor to mix it. Wait until the mixture is in its pea size pieces. 
2. Add the olive oil, apple cider vinegar and drizzle the ice water. Continue mixing until the dough comes together and it becomes clumpy. Be sure not to make it too dry or too wet, just enough for you to press it.
3. Pat your dough into a round shape. Cut it into half for you to have a bottom and top crust. Form each dough into a flat disk shape and cover each with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

    4.  Use a rolling pin to roll out the dough. Scatter flour on the surface so it won't stick.

    5.  Roll it out and place on a pie plate.

 














  Filling

1. Peel the apples and cut it into quarters. Remove the center of the apples and slice it into smaller pieces. 
2. Squeeze the fresh lemon juice into the apples and add the sugar, cinnamon and salt. 
3. Mix them and add the cornstarch. 
4. Pour the filling into the bottom half of the crust. Arrange it, put small pieces of butter on top and cover with the top half crust. 
5. Roll out the sides of the crust. Then make some air vents on the top with whatever design you like. 
6. Beat the egg and brush it over the top crust. Sprinkle some sugar on top. 
7. Put the pie plate on a pan. Preheat the oven at 375 degree F and bake the pie for an hour.

This recipe is based on Foodwishes by Chef John. You can watch his videos too. Enjoy your Apple pie! Thanks, everyone!

Best Wishes! x

Love, 

★TALA ★

What are you gonna be this Halloween?

Tomorrow is Halloween. Have you prepared your costumes yet? I wasn't used to dressing up during Halloween days back in my country. I know that it's a pretty big deal here so I've always been excited to experience it. Don't you just love celebrating it? It's the time of the year when you can actually be whoever or whatever you want to be. This year, I'm thinking of maybe being a Greek goddess, Audrey Hepburn or the Black Swan. I'm still having a hard time choosing but your opinions are very much welcome! What do you think? I know some of you are done celebrating this thing so I really wanna hear from y'all. Please comment below to let me know about your costumes, okay? And to be fair, I'll be posting some pictures of me which are kind of Halloween related. Ha ha!

Fairy

Zombie Bride

Wednesday Addams

Thanks for reading, sweeties! x

Love, 

★TALA ★

Apples and Pumpkins

It's fall season which means it's time for apple picking and pumpkin patch. Aside from Halloween parties and trick or treat, these are some of the activities I look forward to during autumn. Well, it's still my second time but it's always fun and exciting to experience new things. I don't get to do these things back in my hometown. Here are some pictures!

What about you? What things do you like most during fall season? Comment below and let me know! Thanks for reading!

Love, 

★TALA ★

Cap and Denim

Gosh, it's been ages. I'm sorry since I haven't been able to post the past few days. I've been busy but now I'm back on track! We've finally come to the last post of my trip from Niagara. This was my outfit when we traveled back home. 

As you can see, I'm wearing the same jacket and flats again. I've said in my previous posts that it's important for me to pack light so I had to style my outfits around. Another reason is I wanted to dress comfortably as much as I can especially during long trips. 

Forever 21 top || Forever 21 shorts || New York & Company denim jacket || Steve Madden flats || Calvin Klein cap || Calvin Klein shades

I had so much fun with this travel! Niagara falls is simply breathtaking. God's creations are amazing. And I'll definitely come back. 

Thank you! XO!

Love, 

★TALA ★

Colors of the Wind

Forever 21 purple silk top || Paris Blues shorts || Calvin Klein shades

This was my outfit as we had a tour along the cave and Goat Island. Knowing that I'd probably get wet, I wore something really light. I don't know if you noticed but I brought a lot of shorts during this travel. I believe that one has to always pack light when travelling. 

I also brought a pink cardigan with me because it was pretty windy and cold. At least I'm ready. The color combination is not that bad, right? haha. If you've read my previous posts, I've mentioned that we were given a pair of specially designed sandals.

Have fun! XO!

Love, 

★TALA ★