The Internet is such a treasure trove of information. Take adobo, for example. A search using Search.com netted 235,955 entries for this everyday Filipino dish. No, it’s not only Filipinos who submitted them. One entry was by a Siddharth Dasgupta of the Materials & Molecular Simulation Center at the Beckman Institute in Caltech, California. Bob Kunz of Hewlett Packard in Washington introduces adobo as "the national dish of the Philippines." He elaborates, "Most warm-weather countries have through the centuries developed recipes that preserved food while flavoring it. This dish is different than many because of its strong component of vinegar. It is at once sour, salty, and drenched in garlic." At the end of his recipe he recommends, "this dish is too strongly flavored to go well with wine; try serving it with beer."
Another entry came from the SOAR team of the University of Berkeley. SOAR stands for Searchable Online Archive of Recipes. Filipino recipes were listed under the ethnic food category. They have over 20 varieties for our lumpia alone, from fried lumpia to lumpia shanghai to lumpia with sweet potatoes.
Would you like to have your own e-mail account but can't afford your own personal computer yet? Check out the Internet for free e-mail services. Hotmail and Rocketmail are popular among netsurfers who don't own PCs. Register at their website - http://www.hotmail.com or http://rocketmail.com. You can also try http://netaddress.usa.net.
While traveling abroad, I found in the Internet the most practical way to communicate. I was moving from one state to another every week, staying in a different county every three days or so. Fortunately, my hosts have computers at home. Besides, public libraries offer free Internet access. I saved money on long distance phone calls as well as time from sending letters by traditional "snail" mail, because it was easier to e-mail friends of my itinerary. Friends in the Philippines were regularly informed of my escapades as I hopped from one place to another. Requests for pasalubongs were made easier via Hotmail. I e-mailed my best friend about a shoe sale in one store and she quickly responded with her shoe size, preferred color and budget.
Once you have your own e-mail account in the Internet you can access it in any online computer terminal. In Cebu the number of Internet service providers are rising. The going rate can be as low as P50 per hour on slow hours and P100/hr. during peak hours. With increased competition these rates can go down, the speed faster, and the services continuously improved.
When it comes to choosing a good Internet and e-mail service provider, people go for either low rates or speed. Some providers offer lower rates to make up for their slow speed. The ratio of telephone lines per subscribers also affects speed. Beyond this you’ll have to consider what other extras they can offer and the quality of their customer service.
Weblink by far is the fastest that we’ve tried against five others. They just had additional lines installed by Islacom. They reward subscribers who pay before deadline with extra five hours. Their Internet café along Gen. Maxilom Ave. is open 24 hours. They offer a roaming account for the business traveler who likes to access his e-mail when he goes to other cities like Manila, Bacolod, Ormoc, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, etc. But the other servers are catching up and offering this service as well.
Don’t take after-sales customer service for granted. In this category GSI Link gets top marks. This company is run by competent pros. After only one call their representative showed up at our office the next day with a laptop to demonstrate the features of e-mail and Internet. They gave us a copy of their user-friendly manual upon installation. Their staff regularly e-mail us with tips, advises, and instructions. They respond to our e-mail queries promptly. Whenever we call in to report a problem they stay on the line until the problem is licked. Plus, they are constantly upgrading and improving their technical services.
Get on the information superhighway and discover a world that is truly mind-boggling.
Published in Sunstar Daily, Sept. 12, 1997