A Man’s Survival Tips for Living in the US

Contributor: Robby Galang, Oxford University, Oxford (After graduating from Oxford, Robby moved to the US.)

1) Must-have cleaning stuff:

a) Febreeze: This spray takes out the smell from any fabric. This sure beats the
cost of cleaning stuff, especially upholstery, sweaters and jackets. Why do the laundry when you can 'Febreeze'?

b) Shout: Amazing stain remover. Buy Shout
Wipes. They are like wetones for stains. Works perfectly when used in
conjunction with "Febreeze". No more drycleaning!!

c) 409: Ultrapowerful
solvent. Will cut through anything. Makes wiping stovetops, refrigerators, alls,
tables, etc, very easy.

2) Rule to live by number 1: Why clean when there are no guests?

3) Rule to live by 2: If it does not look dirty, if it does not smell dirty and if it does not move, it is still clean.

4) Remember: the microwave is your best friend. Though the toaster oven may come in as a close second.

5) Easy to cook meals! Run-down of decent ready-to-cook food.

a) Remember to stock up on our favorite breakfast stuff from our country.
Tocino, longaniza and tapa is always available at the Filipino food store. I
am not sure if they have a Filipino food store in Charlottesville. Pass by the
one in San Fran. If all else fails, Mama Sita's Tocino mix is surprisingly very
good.

b) As I always say, 'live by the instant mix, die by the instant mix.' The Adobo mix is not great but the Sinigang mix is always good. Chicken Sopas mix will be great for cold winter nights.

c) Go Hispanic! Hispanic food tastes so much like Pinoy food anyway. Goya is our trusted brand for good, ready-to-cook hispanic food. Look for Goya in your neighborhood Hispanic grocer. (Oops, baka wala.) If you do find Goya foods, try the ham croquetas,frozen empanadas, and papas rellenos.

d) Hotdogs are always good for any meal. Try the polska kielbasas! YUMM!!

e) Instant spaghetti sauce is always good. Look for a brand that you love.

f) Stouffer's: a brand that we all love! Stouffer's makes great (well, honestly, it is not that good, but its cheap and filling!) microwave dinners. Try the cheese and
spinach manicotti and chicken oriental! YUMM! (Well, not really. Puede na
kung gutom ka!)

g) Go Oriental! Chinese stores always have good ready-to-cook meals. Our favorites: frozen gyoza (I don't remember the brand) and shrimp dumpling.

h) If all else fails, cereal can be a good substitute for dinner! Our favorites: Smart Start, Oreo O's, Cheerios, Kellogg's Country Inn Specialties --specifically Ornsby Hill blend.

6) At the end of the day, who are we really kidding? Fast food is how we all survived America! Papa John's makes the best pizza. Try the gorditas and chalupas at Taco Bell. McDonalds has a good salads. Burger King is always reliable. Try the chicken fingers with honey mustard sauce at KFC -- sometimes they even have Popcorn Chicken. Then you have Chinese takeout: General Tso's Chicken and Orange Chicken are the best.