Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ikaw ay taga UP High kung...
Message from Sylvia, Peachy and Miriam:
Please go to this website link to support our
sendoff party for the UP Integrated School.
This is a project of Batch 1980.. our last event
for the school since it will be gone very soon...
Please share to UP High events.. and participate
by actively sharing and connecting for the school cause..
If you wish to volunteer your time and efforts.. please feel free to contact Ms. Sylvia Flordeliz-Pangalanan
Sincerely,
PR Committee of Huling Yugyugan..
Sylvia, Peachy and Miriam
Thursday, August 18, 2011
I Am Impressed: The BPI's Automated System
I've been with Bank of the Philippine Islands on and off for more more years than I care to count. And I have been more than satisfied with their service. Though every so often, a random question does pop up and I have no idea if the people in the frontlines (the tellers) would even know the answer to these questions.
Case in point is why one of the accounts I had previously opened was still active? I opened this quite a while ago, and I have taken out all my funds from that account. But I guess since it's a payroll account, BPI has some internal policy not to delete it from their records. I don't know. I can only smile when a teller mentions that I have that one account in that branch, and I have to reach back into deep memory before I realize what the teller meant. I'm not mad or angry, just perplexed about the whole thing.
One innovation which BPI has recently rolled out is an automated system replacing the transaction slips. There are these machines which look like a cross between ATMs and info-kiosks, and you enter all your transaction details into them. Of course, it has a touch screen interface, and the navigation is clean, smart and, dare I say, sexy.
The transaction kiosk replaces the transaction slips. No more filling up of forms, just a few tap-taps and you're through. I first used the system at the old Rustan's Cubao branch. And it has now been rolled out to some of the branches here in the bukid. The transaction isn't completed at the kiosk. Instead, you are issued a queue number. Once the number is called up on the screen, you go to the teller, present the number, and money and the teller will give you a transaction receipt.
From a workflow viewpoint, this means that there was only one data entry point for the whole transaction. The teller is only there to confirm the money is received. Because there are now lots of seats, there is no need for queueing. As a client, I would need to do the data entry standing up, but then again, filling up the old forms took a bit longer. On the teller side, there should be no more data entry errors. Errors on money count would still be there, but this should be minimized. For withdrawals, the first option is still the ATM machines at the front of the bank. But for larger cash amounts, and for passbook accounts, this should be faster as well.
All in all, I am impressed. Very impressive indeed.
Case in point is why one of the accounts I had previously opened was still active? I opened this quite a while ago, and I have taken out all my funds from that account. But I guess since it's a payroll account, BPI has some internal policy not to delete it from their records. I don't know. I can only smile when a teller mentions that I have that one account in that branch, and I have to reach back into deep memory before I realize what the teller meant. I'm not mad or angry, just perplexed about the whole thing.
One innovation which BPI has recently rolled out is an automated system replacing the transaction slips. There are these machines which look like a cross between ATMs and info-kiosks, and you enter all your transaction details into them. Of course, it has a touch screen interface, and the navigation is clean, smart and, dare I say, sexy.
The transaction kiosk replaces the transaction slips. No more filling up of forms, just a few tap-taps and you're through. I first used the system at the old Rustan's Cubao branch. And it has now been rolled out to some of the branches here in the bukid. The transaction isn't completed at the kiosk. Instead, you are issued a queue number. Once the number is called up on the screen, you go to the teller, present the number, and money and the teller will give you a transaction receipt.
From a workflow viewpoint, this means that there was only one data entry point for the whole transaction. The teller is only there to confirm the money is received. Because there are now lots of seats, there is no need for queueing. As a client, I would need to do the data entry standing up, but then again, filling up the old forms took a bit longer. On the teller side, there should be no more data entry errors. Errors on money count would still be there, but this should be minimized. For withdrawals, the first option is still the ATM machines at the front of the bank. But for larger cash amounts, and for passbook accounts, this should be faster as well.
All in all, I am impressed. Very impressive indeed.
Sunday, August 07, 2011
Texting While Driving: Stupidity Has No Bounds (But Please Do Not Include Me In Yours)
There have been a few incidents and accidents involving drivers who are texting while driving. This is beyond stupidity. I have been a passenger in several vehicles where the driver was texting while on the wheels. But I guess, unless these drivers have been involved in an accident while tip-tapping on their phones, they would never stop. No matter how many times they are told that it's dangerous.
But the boundaries of human stupidity does not exist. I thought I had seen the most stupid things before. But this last time was way beyond any of those.
Mind you, I've ridden vans, which go through traffic like they were in a Harry Potter movies, while the driver was using the cell phone. These vans counterflow and defy conventions, rules and regulations, and dare defy the laws of gravity. And I rode them on the daily commute for more than 20 years.
As I said, this last one was way beyond there. It was nearing midnight, it was raining, the roads were wet, we were on a highway, the traffic was relatively light but composed mainly of heavy trucks, and the tricycle driver was driving with one hand while texting with the other hand. He didn't just do it once. It seems he was having a frakking conversation! He kept whipping it out of his pocket, read the message, text his answer and put it back into his pants' pocket. Surreal!
If the trucks weren't passing us by left and right, or he wasn't overtaking the trucks, it would have been hilarious. But really, if any driver wanted to fulfill a death wish, then please by all means, do so, but without any passengers. And that includes me.
Crazy gits!
But the boundaries of human stupidity does not exist. I thought I had seen the most stupid things before. But this last time was way beyond any of those.
Mind you, I've ridden vans, which go through traffic like they were in a Harry Potter movies, while the driver was using the cell phone. These vans counterflow and defy conventions, rules and regulations, and dare defy the laws of gravity. And I rode them on the daily commute for more than 20 years.
As I said, this last one was way beyond there. It was nearing midnight, it was raining, the roads were wet, we were on a highway, the traffic was relatively light but composed mainly of heavy trucks, and the tricycle driver was driving with one hand while texting with the other hand. He didn't just do it once. It seems he was having a frakking conversation! He kept whipping it out of his pocket, read the message, text his answer and put it back into his pants' pocket. Surreal!
If the trucks weren't passing us by left and right, or he wasn't overtaking the trucks, it would have been hilarious. But really, if any driver wanted to fulfill a death wish, then please by all means, do so, but without any passengers. And that includes me.
Crazy gits!
Monday, August 01, 2011
"The Prestige": A Steampunk Movie With NiKola Tesla
I saw a documentary of about Nikola Tesla, and I've been reading about his name for the past few years. With the latest developments on electric cars and robotics, his name just keep cropping up.
Among the things I've learned lately, it looks like Tesla is larger than life, and larger than fiction as well. He had patents for radio communications which Marconi used in his experiments. If Tesla had pushed for those developments, he would have been a bigger name today than Marconi.
He improved on Thomas Edison's the electrical distribution model. He invented the alternating current (AC) and this made for a the capability for longer electrical transmissions. Whereas direct current (DC) would have needed repeaters every 10 miles or so, AC did not have that problem. You only needed a long cable and higher voltages, and when the power is in your neighborhood, the voltage would be stepped down via a transformer.
Tesla also one-upped Edison with the light bulb. In more ways than one. Edison owned the patents for the light bulb. The only work around for producing a better light bulb was in the manufacturing process. Tesla created a better light bulb manufacturing process which was cheaper and had better results in creating a vacuum inside the bulb.
In addition to that, Tesla created a bulb which did not use wire filaments, and did not produce heat when lit. This is the precursor of the modern compact flourescent bulb. It was not manufactured then. But we're enjoying the benefits now.
In fiction, his being an OCD type genius trumps Sheldon Cooper any day. His claim to science fiction fame does not only rest on the static energy charges of his inventions, but also on two things he wrote about but did not pursue: the earthquake producing building shaker, and the death ray. It seems that he did create the building shaker, but might have buried the idea and invention because it is too powerful. The death ray was something he wrote about but because his papers were lost inside when he died, this was never pursued.
I just can't stop thinking about Tesla, because his ideas were the basis of some ideas I heard about or are being used today without any attribution to him. Back in 1990, a friend of mine wanted to write a thesis on robotics about how a robot can find a wall socket and plug itself to recharge. (The easy part is knowing when to recharge, so let's skip that.) The way my friend described it, there is residual electromagnetic radiation from wall sockets. So the robot would only need to follow the electromagnetic radiation to it's source and plug itself. Discerning between a microwave and a wall socket can come later. Again that should be the relatively easy part.
The concept of electromagnetic energy from wall sockets as well as other sources inside a home or office is also something which is being researched by electronic goods manufacturers. The research is straight out of Tesla's thinking. Tesla wanted to develop a wireless electrical transmission system. This has been proven on a small scale inside laboratories. Admittedly, the small one quarter-scale devices are still as large as a basketball court.
But there is also the research on smaller devices. In this case, small really does mean small, like cell phones, tablets, laptops, and the like. And even robots. The research is trying to find ways to recharge these small electronic devices via electromagnetic radiation. It might be necessary to get close to the outlet, or any source for that matter, but definitely, it would mean wireless recharging.
Steampunk, as an art movement is unique as the artwork is a marriage of old mechanical and wooden devices with modern electronic devices. The clincher is that the melding of the design works. It is a melding of the innards of the modern device with the design aesthetics of the antique device. Whence you have computers, with keyboards which look like they came from the Victorian era. When Tesla left his homeland, European design was stil very much in Victorian.
There are not too many steampunk movies. In fact, strictly speaking, I would not want to consider "The Prestige" as a steampunk movie, though there are some who categorize it as a steampunk fantasy. This is a weird categorization (like French-Japanese fusion cuisine) because Christopher Priest, the writer, is an established science fiction author. I guess the feel of the movie is very H.G.Wells because of Wells's influence on Priest's writing.
"The Prestige" also used Tesla as a character and story device very adroitly, and on multiple levels.
The movie seems very heavy and dark. It did not unfold, instead it unraveled faster than it was intended to be. It does stand out as a good example of a Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Michael Caine collaboration, even if it did have Hugh Jackman for top billing. It should have been perfect as a Hugh Jackman vehicle because he had prior experience in this genre.
If you like Andy Serkis and David Bowie, you won't notice them in this movie.
It is one of those movies which is very thought-provoking on so many levels.
Among the things I've learned lately, it looks like Tesla is larger than life, and larger than fiction as well. He had patents for radio communications which Marconi used in his experiments. If Tesla had pushed for those developments, he would have been a bigger name today than Marconi.
He improved on Thomas Edison's the electrical distribution model. He invented the alternating current (AC) and this made for a the capability for longer electrical transmissions. Whereas direct current (DC) would have needed repeaters every 10 miles or so, AC did not have that problem. You only needed a long cable and higher voltages, and when the power is in your neighborhood, the voltage would be stepped down via a transformer.
Tesla also one-upped Edison with the light bulb. In more ways than one. Edison owned the patents for the light bulb. The only work around for producing a better light bulb was in the manufacturing process. Tesla created a better light bulb manufacturing process which was cheaper and had better results in creating a vacuum inside the bulb.
In addition to that, Tesla created a bulb which did not use wire filaments, and did not produce heat when lit. This is the precursor of the modern compact flourescent bulb. It was not manufactured then. But we're enjoying the benefits now.
In fiction, his being an OCD type genius trumps Sheldon Cooper any day. His claim to science fiction fame does not only rest on the static energy charges of his inventions, but also on two things he wrote about but did not pursue: the earthquake producing building shaker, and the death ray. It seems that he did create the building shaker, but might have buried the idea and invention because it is too powerful. The death ray was something he wrote about but because his papers were lost inside when he died, this was never pursued.
I just can't stop thinking about Tesla, because his ideas were the basis of some ideas I heard about or are being used today without any attribution to him. Back in 1990, a friend of mine wanted to write a thesis on robotics about how a robot can find a wall socket and plug itself to recharge. (The easy part is knowing when to recharge, so let's skip that.) The way my friend described it, there is residual electromagnetic radiation from wall sockets. So the robot would only need to follow the electromagnetic radiation to it's source and plug itself. Discerning between a microwave and a wall socket can come later. Again that should be the relatively easy part.
The concept of electromagnetic energy from wall sockets as well as other sources inside a home or office is also something which is being researched by electronic goods manufacturers. The research is straight out of Tesla's thinking. Tesla wanted to develop a wireless electrical transmission system. This has been proven on a small scale inside laboratories. Admittedly, the small one quarter-scale devices are still as large as a basketball court.
But there is also the research on smaller devices. In this case, small really does mean small, like cell phones, tablets, laptops, and the like. And even robots. The research is trying to find ways to recharge these small electronic devices via electromagnetic radiation. It might be necessary to get close to the outlet, or any source for that matter, but definitely, it would mean wireless recharging.
Steampunk, as an art movement is unique as the artwork is a marriage of old mechanical and wooden devices with modern electronic devices. The clincher is that the melding of the design works. It is a melding of the innards of the modern device with the design aesthetics of the antique device. Whence you have computers, with keyboards which look like they came from the Victorian era. When Tesla left his homeland, European design was stil very much in Victorian.
There are not too many steampunk movies. In fact, strictly speaking, I would not want to consider "The Prestige" as a steampunk movie, though there are some who categorize it as a steampunk fantasy. This is a weird categorization (like French-Japanese fusion cuisine) because Christopher Priest, the writer, is an established science fiction author. I guess the feel of the movie is very H.G.Wells because of Wells's influence on Priest's writing.
"The Prestige" also used Tesla as a character and story device very adroitly, and on multiple levels.
The movie seems very heavy and dark. It did not unfold, instead it unraveled faster than it was intended to be. It does stand out as a good example of a Christopher Nolan, Christian Bale, Michael Caine collaboration, even if it did have Hugh Jackman for top billing. It should have been perfect as a Hugh Jackman vehicle because he had prior experience in this genre.
If you like Andy Serkis and David Bowie, you won't notice them in this movie.
It is one of those movies which is very thought-provoking on so many levels.
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
Old Hard Disks And Security
A while back I saw a documentary/news report from Deutsche Welle about old hard disks disposed in Germany. The trail somehow led to Africa where the disks were being recycled for use. Bottom line is that when the reporting team took a look at the used hard disks that they bought, a lot of the hard disks were still readable, and contained personal data from their former owners.
It was not news to me that data could still be mined from old hard disks. My concern was that the former owners didn't know that their data was not safe. Considering that some of the hard disks were from corporations, it was not surprising that there was a lot of financial data on the disks. Whether formatted, erased or not, these data could still be recovered. Some files included credit card and bank information. It is not a stretch to say that if these got into the wrong hands, real money could be stolen from the former hard disk owners.
It is not hard to unerase a hard disk. In fact, you don't need to buy the software, you can download PC recovery software and use the software without any need for training.
The German's have a good nationwide recycling and waste management system. But it seems that PC owners do not know that their data goes out with the hard disks that they discard.
I've not really been a fan of throwing hard disks away. I use the hard disks as long as I can. When the disks finally fail, I disassemble the hard disks and retrieve the disk and the magnets. But I don't know of anyone else who does that.
Normally, users are concerned with the continued use and access of their data. There is no concern that the disks they discard could still be mined for any data.
It was not news to me that data could still be mined from old hard disks. My concern was that the former owners didn't know that their data was not safe. Considering that some of the hard disks were from corporations, it was not surprising that there was a lot of financial data on the disks. Whether formatted, erased or not, these data could still be recovered. Some files included credit card and bank information. It is not a stretch to say that if these got into the wrong hands, real money could be stolen from the former hard disk owners.
It is not hard to unerase a hard disk. In fact, you don't need to buy the software, you can download PC recovery software and use the software without any need for training.
The German's have a good nationwide recycling and waste management system. But it seems that PC owners do not know that their data goes out with the hard disks that they discard.
I've not really been a fan of throwing hard disks away. I use the hard disks as long as I can. When the disks finally fail, I disassemble the hard disks and retrieve the disk and the magnets. But I don't know of anyone else who does that.
Normally, users are concerned with the continued use and access of their data. There is no concern that the disks they discard could still be mined for any data.
Earthquakes and Storms
There was an earthquake the other night. Actually, it was already past midnight. It was enough to get me out of bed. It was a good several seconds long, which also had a second wave. It was not too concerned for my safety. I was home, there's a roof over my head. I was awake and the roof didn't cave in. I knew I was okay.
Immediately after the earthquake, I sent text messages to family and friends. For me it was normal. I had just conveniently forgotten that majority of the people I sent text messages to were asleep at that time and most probably didn't feel the earthquake. After I had settled down a bit, I was happy to note that there were several answers which came in via text messages. Seems everyone was safe, and that made me feel safe, and great.
What worried me was the following day's events. Specifically during the afternoon when there was news of another earthquake, this time a bit farther south. Come to think of it, this was the first time I ever heard that there was an earthquake in that area.
But on top of the second earthquake, there was also concern about a typhoon coming into the country. A quick online search for weather maps and there it was, a typhoon with enough cloud cover to blanket the upper half of the country. The clincher was that there's another typhoon following it. It is not hard to imagine that the second storm will follow the same path as the first.
As far as I am concerned, as long as these natural phenomena DO NOT happen all at once, as long as these events take a number, and bide their time happening, the country and everyone in it can cope.
Twenty typhoons a year, that's normal. Even with three of these within the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as long as these don't make landfall all at the same time, that will be okay and everything that such a calamity will bring will be taken cared of.
Earthquakes? Keep them at Intensity 6 and no higher, even if it was on an almost daily basis, everything will be fine. A strong one every 20 years? That's about it, with no strong earthquake occurring more often than that.
As long as an earthquake doesn't happen during a typhoon, everything will be fine.
Immediately after the earthquake, I sent text messages to family and friends. For me it was normal. I had just conveniently forgotten that majority of the people I sent text messages to were asleep at that time and most probably didn't feel the earthquake. After I had settled down a bit, I was happy to note that there were several answers which came in via text messages. Seems everyone was safe, and that made me feel safe, and great.
What worried me was the following day's events. Specifically during the afternoon when there was news of another earthquake, this time a bit farther south. Come to think of it, this was the first time I ever heard that there was an earthquake in that area.
But on top of the second earthquake, there was also concern about a typhoon coming into the country. A quick online search for weather maps and there it was, a typhoon with enough cloud cover to blanket the upper half of the country. The clincher was that there's another typhoon following it. It is not hard to imagine that the second storm will follow the same path as the first.
As far as I am concerned, as long as these natural phenomena DO NOT happen all at once, as long as these events take a number, and bide their time happening, the country and everyone in it can cope.
Twenty typhoons a year, that's normal. Even with three of these within the Philippine Area of Responsibility, as long as these don't make landfall all at the same time, that will be okay and everything that such a calamity will bring will be taken cared of.
Earthquakes? Keep them at Intensity 6 and no higher, even if it was on an almost daily basis, everything will be fine. A strong one every 20 years? That's about it, with no strong earthquake occurring more often than that.
As long as an earthquake doesn't happen during a typhoon, everything will be fine.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
Old Words, New Words
I caught a glimpse of a link for an online vocabulary test. What the test does is to gauge a person's vocabulary range. Though it is relies on an honor system as it only asks if you know at least one meaning of a word, it does give an idea of where you stand compared to the rest of the population and compared to people your own age. The scores given are the expected number of words that a person knows.
I took the test, and my scores were a bit higher than the median for my age group. I don't have an idea of the score distribution for my age group, but I comparing my score with the median, I think the difference might be statistically significant. The other score comparison showed that I'm in the upper 15-percentile of the population.
The way the scores were estimated, it should be noted that the median scores increase with a person's age group (meaning, the older you are, the higher the expected score).
My regret about this test is that compared to my age group, my ranking looks to be decreasing. At least, I think that if I got evaluated in the same manner when I was entering college, I should have a vocabulary range in the top 10-percentile rank. I have no way to prove that now, which is just too bad.
I really think that my vocabulary is not as broad as it should be, if only I had kept on reading books. Actual books made of paper which you hold in your hand, somewhere in front of your face, and read at leisure.
I find that most of the articles I read on the internet do not challenge my vocabulary. Articles on the internet do not have the breadth of vocabulary of their paper equivalents because there is no need. Or if there were, the articles would be of the technical kind (hence with a completely different vocabulary and language), and for the most part have been dumbed down in order to be understood by the population at large.
I really need to get back to reading.
On the other hand, I am very much amused about a TV show I avidly follow. Their use of English is such a breath of fresh air. They use words like debacle, and expressions like "that's a ripper", "you're in a world of hurt." I really enjoy the way they use the language. It's a welcome change of pace.
I took the test, and my scores were a bit higher than the median for my age group. I don't have an idea of the score distribution for my age group, but I comparing my score with the median, I think the difference might be statistically significant. The other score comparison showed that I'm in the upper 15-percentile of the population.
The way the scores were estimated, it should be noted that the median scores increase with a person's age group (meaning, the older you are, the higher the expected score).
My regret about this test is that compared to my age group, my ranking looks to be decreasing. At least, I think that if I got evaluated in the same manner when I was entering college, I should have a vocabulary range in the top 10-percentile rank. I have no way to prove that now, which is just too bad.
I really think that my vocabulary is not as broad as it should be, if only I had kept on reading books. Actual books made of paper which you hold in your hand, somewhere in front of your face, and read at leisure.
I find that most of the articles I read on the internet do not challenge my vocabulary. Articles on the internet do not have the breadth of vocabulary of their paper equivalents because there is no need. Or if there were, the articles would be of the technical kind (hence with a completely different vocabulary and language), and for the most part have been dumbed down in order to be understood by the population at large.
I really need to get back to reading.
On the other hand, I am very much amused about a TV show I avidly follow. Their use of English is such a breath of fresh air. They use words like debacle, and expressions like "that's a ripper", "you're in a world of hurt." I really enjoy the way they use the language. It's a welcome change of pace.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Stripes and Spots
There was some minor hubbub during the last PHL-Sri Lanka football game which was held at the Rizal Memorial Football Field. The Azkals won, and whatever happened that day has been moved aside and the team (and supporters) are now looking forward to the next game. Definitely, Kuwait is more a tough team, and all the focus is on that game.
The minor bump was when Ronnie Nathanielz mentioned that it was impossible for the Azkals to win. The issue was that he was on the TV panel and was supposed to be impartial (or at least pro-Philippines). Instead he showed that he was pro-Sri Lanka for this game.
I thought that there shouldn't have been anything wrong with his opinion. In fact, this should have been expected of him. He is a natural-born Sri Lankan. That's what he is.
He may be more Pinoy than some of the Azkals, if only because he's been a Philippine citizen since the early 1970's. His citizenship was courtesy of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos issued a Presidential decree proclaiming Ronnie's citizenship.
Ronnie is a very loyal person. He has time and again shown his loyalty to Marcos, without being tagged as a Marcos Loyalist. He has always shown his loyalty to Danding Cojuangco, whom he calls "Ambassador." I do not see that he would change his preferences or loyalties, even to Sri Lanka football.
Expecting this from Ronnie, there should have been no problem with him on the coverage panel. It doesn't matter what his football loyalties are. In hindsight, he should really be the one on the panel. It's not any different from putting an Ateneo alum with a DLSU alum on the coverage panel of an Ateneo-La Salle game. It just makes sense.
Am looking forward to the next Azkals game. That should be fun.
The minor bump was when Ronnie Nathanielz mentioned that it was impossible for the Azkals to win. The issue was that he was on the TV panel and was supposed to be impartial (or at least pro-Philippines). Instead he showed that he was pro-Sri Lanka for this game.
I thought that there shouldn't have been anything wrong with his opinion. In fact, this should have been expected of him. He is a natural-born Sri Lankan. That's what he is.
He may be more Pinoy than some of the Azkals, if only because he's been a Philippine citizen since the early 1970's. His citizenship was courtesy of Pres. Ferdinand Marcos. Marcos issued a Presidential decree proclaiming Ronnie's citizenship.
Ronnie is a very loyal person. He has time and again shown his loyalty to Marcos, without being tagged as a Marcos Loyalist. He has always shown his loyalty to Danding Cojuangco, whom he calls "Ambassador." I do not see that he would change his preferences or loyalties, even to Sri Lanka football.
Expecting this from Ronnie, there should have been no problem with him on the coverage panel. It doesn't matter what his football loyalties are. In hindsight, he should really be the one on the panel. It's not any different from putting an Ateneo alum with a DLSU alum on the coverage panel of an Ateneo-La Salle game. It just makes sense.
Am looking forward to the next Azkals game. That should be fun.
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
MasterChef Australia vs. MasterChef US
MasterChef is a reality cooking show which started in the UK. Over the past few years it has spawned franchises in Australia, New Zealand and the US. This year the MasterChef franchise will begin taping the Philippine version. That is a totally different story altogether.
I first saw snippets of MC Australia early during the summer. I was not very much impressed, as I've seen cooking shows, reality show, and reality cooking shows. It wasn't until I saw an episode of the MC US that I got interested in it. I think the first episode I saw of the US version was an audition episode. I looked around, found and watched the entire first season of MasterChef US. It was impressive, and it was very American. There was a diverse range of contestants, running along a wide age range, economic and financial strata, work experiences, and regions. The regional tastes showed in the contestants cooking. This was a show which really showcased the breadth and depth of the USA. The judges were impressive. There was Gordon Ramsay, Graham Elliot and Joe Bastianich. These people also have a wide knowledge of cooking, taste, flavors and an appreciation of the human condition.
That first season was exciting, and for me, defined what a reality cooking contest should be. The contestants had to draw deep into their repertoire for some of the dishes. They cooked out of their range and comfort zones. These amateur cooks were pushed to their limits. Standing alone, the first season of MC US was great.
I was only able to watch one episode of the original MasterChef series. The presentation was very Brit, and dry. It was almost too serious but not serious enough, a bit techie, and frankly was not very appealing for me. I love British shows, but this was not one of them.
And then I saw MasterChef Australia and my appreciation of a cooking contest changed. This was not a sprint like the US edition. This was a marathon. Whereas the US version was taped over five weeks, the Australian version was done over a period of three-and-a-half months. The American series aired once a week. The Aussie series aired 6 times a week, Sunday to Friday. And the real telling part was the attitude of the contestants. They treated themselves as amateur chefs who are good enough to be professionals, who think they can jump ahead of professionals even without training, and who treat the contest as if they have to kill off the competition in order to win. The atmosphere was more like Survivor or Hell's Kitchen than a cooking show.
The Aussies, on the other hand, were gentlemen and ladies whose aims were to become chefs or food writers, and treated the show as a friendly competition. They know that after the show, for good or worse, they will be working beside the other contestants. I guess what one of the presentors said is very true for the Aussies: “cooks help each other in the kitchen.”
Aside from camaraderie of friendly competition, the contest itself showed more of the techniques of cooking and a cooking show for advanced techniques. The show has a weekly MasterClass where the contestants were taught methods and techniques. There was more theory and discussion about food than in the American version. The contestants would talk about their food being worse or better and why, and not any trash talk against the other contestants. There surely was fear but there was real awe and respect for the judges, the food and the contestants.
The American version has contestants who have shown disrespect with the rules and proceedings. Some contestants cannot take criticism, taking the judges to task for the failed cooking. Being cocky has become a trademark for a lot of the contestants on American reality shows, and MasterChef is not an exception. Americans have also shown their inadequacy in the kitchen when faced with fish and other seafood. There's even a former IT guy who dared to cook food as his version of standard fine dining or french food. The judges kept taking him down, but he never did notice. That was one stupid git. But in the current season, even that cockiness could not compare to an 18 year old trust fund kid who belittles everyone else in the competition. It was ironic that he lost in a head to head elimination to a redneck lady while cooking steak. He does not know how to cook rare, medium rare and well-done steaks.
MasterChef US is enjoyable for the drama and the competition. There are also almost no recipe cards for the contestants to follow. But in terms of enjoyment, entertainment value, novelty, educational experience and overall quality, I would rather watch MasterChef Australia.
Friday, January 14, 2011
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