Sambong Tea and Veranda

 Dear insansapinas,

I am running out of sambong tea and my brother in SF could not find any in the Filipino store. My relative in the Philippines told me that should I need more, I just e-mail them and they would send me some.


After reading this news about a Filipina tourist in Australia who was reported to have been nabbed for  bringing in illegal drugs, I decided to forego my plan of asking for the tea in the Philippines.

A Filipina tourist detained for allegedly smuggling illegal drugs in Australia has been released from jail after she was found innocent of the crime, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) said Saturday.

Filipina Maria Cecilia Silva was freed by Australian Police on Thursday—after five days of detention—after packets of iced tea recovered from her at the Melbourne Airport tested negative for drugs, an article on the DFA website reported.

According to the DFA, Silva was arrested and detained last Saturday upon her arrival at the airport on suspicion that iced tea packets she was carrying contained the illegal drug methamphetamine hydrochloride or shabu.

Australian Customs officials and the federal police expressed regret over the incident.

The Philippine Embassy in Canberra, who assisted Silva during the incident, urged Australian authorities to implement measures to ensure that similar mistakes do not happen again, the DFA reported.

Silva received a compensation of 5,000 Australian dollars (around P209,000) for the harrowing incident, according to the DFA

 Baka mapagkamalan ngang drugs yong tea sachets sa mail pag iniscan.

We cannot blame the authorities in Australia for being strict when it comes to illegal drugs. The bad guys make use of so many ways by which drugs can be brought to a country. Here in the US, many airport authorities are already aware of these herbal supplements in the form of tea brought by balikbayans. Eh sa Australia?


I commend the embassy for helping the Filipina and the Australian government for prompt rectification of the error and compensating  the falsely accused tourist. Sa ibang country, baka mabulok kahihintay masolve ang kaso.


So if you are bringing some tea, be sure you do not remove them from the  original pack which descibes the product and its uses. Ang galing kong mag-advise eh ako inilagay ko sa Ziploc para makatipid ng space pero niretained ko yong box. Tinupi ko lang. It was only later during the trip when I realized that they might open my checked in luggage and find the tea. Magpapainit pa ako ng tubig para ipatikim sa kanila ang mapait na sambong tea. Baka sabihin nila, pweh.

Verandah

photocredit:


I am afraid of heights. I never go to near the steel  railings of our verandah.  I found it very simple compared to balustrade that are used in the Philippines' balcony or partio which are wide enough to put decorative plants. Some residents, especially the male sit or lean in the railings while smoking. 


There were a few celebrities who died because of falling from condo thru the verandah. 


One of such victim was the youngest son of Toni Rose Gayda-Lim who is the daughter of the movie icon, Rosa Rosal

Namatay kaninang umaga, 6:30 a.m., sa Cardinal Santos Memorial Hospital ang bunsong anak ni Toni bunga ng pagkakahulog  mula sa 4th floor ng kanilang condo unit sa Wack Wack, Mandaluyong City. He was 26 years old.

News about the father is that he claimed, he designed and built that condo. News about the mother was that she asked her son to smoke outside the room.

Gossips circulating in the internet were that it was not an accident but a suicide and people were of the opinion that it was only later when the death of the young man sunk in to the family because they were not very demostrative in dealing with grief. People can be nasty.


Pinaysaamerika