His heart beats faster, pulse racing and palms sweating, he clicks the mouse with a fierce intensity and navigates through the map with his left hand. He glances at the screen and sees the enemy hordes approaching. Quickly, he sends a message to the rest of the team on their attack strategy. He monitors his gold resources and the strength of his electronic Hero. In a few seconds, a triple kill combo decimates the rest of the enemy team. He looks up and whoops out a congratulatory yell as his team’s winning statistics flash on the screen.

Sounds familiar? 

For the typical massive multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) fanatic, it sounds like another electronic victory out of several rounds of creating a virtual world of computer network battles. Is such a campaign really worth all the time and effort? Does winning a computer game an indicator of real life...

This was unearthed from my dad's files, in a note from my grandmother, a traditional dish that I've never found anywhere else but in the Verzosa hometown, Vigan, Ilocos Sur. The flavor is indescribable, there's nothing else quite like it. I can't wait to go home to the province and ask our cucinera at Villa Angela to make Pipian!

A Google search describes Pipian as something of Mexican origin but the Vigan version looks so much better. A similar recipe can also be found in Wyatt's Kitchen: Pipian Manok. Thank you to Mr. Wyatt Belmonte for the Pipian photo.

"When I took a look at it, it was in script written by Manang Aca from Lola Puring [Dra. Purificacion Lahoz-Verzosa]'s dictation for a certain Mrs. Tiongson....I will therefore key it in as is in order to preserve the flavor....

PIPIAN VIGAN

I think this food originated as a delicacy from the people of Vigan. The truth is that it is special because it is only in Vigan where you find the herb called "al pasotes" which is known by...