Inspired by true events, The Vow earns it sentimentality instead of being unfairly manipulative, and for this genre, that's a quality that goes a long way. A romantic movie coupled with a fine balance of humor and melodrama, The Vow is a bittersweet amnesia story starring Rachel McAdams as Paige and Channing Tatum as her husband Leo. With the running narration "Life is all about moments of impact...And how they change our lives forever. But what if one day, you could no longer remember any of them?" Can the love of a lifetime find a second chance?

The young wedded couple, who, at the beginning of the movie, are the only ones seen getting out of a downtown Chicago theater. Snow has just fallen, it's quiet and romance is in the air. Paige suddenly gets the kinky idea of making love at the next stop sign. Then a moment of impact happens, literally, as plow rear ends them and sends Paige crashing through the windshield and into a coma.

Weeks later, she wakes up but has no memory of the past four years with Leo or the sacred vow she gave and received on their wedding day. In her mind, she's still a law student living up to her parents’ (Jessica Lange and Sam Neill) lofty expectations; she’s just broken up with her fiancé Jeremy (Scott Speedman); and she hasn’t yet developed the quirks that define her current personality. For instance, she can’t believe she’s a sculptor and a vegetarian, and she’s amazed to learn “the senator?” Barack Obama is now the President of the United States, and that she voted for him.

Still hoping that Paige's memory will come back in just a matter of time, Leo endures the pain of being a stranger to his own wife knowing it is not going to be that easy. Willing to start from the beginning, He is planning to get her fall in love with him again, which is no easy task.

Given everything we know about romantic films, we can visualize outbursts of pain and crying; we know there will be warm moments of smiles and happiness; we know there will be conflicts between Leo and Paige's uptight, snobbish parents, whom Paige's hasn't spoken to in years; and we suspect there will be rekindling of sorts between Paige and Jeremy. In this film, indeed we can anticipate a lot of the movie's scene ahead of time.

What is Coconut Wine?

Some coconut farmers in the Philippines make use of coconut sap for Coconut Wine making, which is called "Tuba or Bahalina".

The selection of names for Coconut Wine in the Philippines varies from the region it was produced. In Luzon, it is mostly called Lambanog where as in Visayas it is called as Tuba. The primary difference is the color and the mixture of the Coconut Wine. Tuba is the product of mixing Barok (A reddish color bark of mangrove tree) with the coconut sap, which in turn make Tuba red in color and sometimes called the Coconut Red Wine. On the other hand, Lambanog, sometimes known as Coconut Vodka - is the pure coconut sap (without Barok mix) almost colorless or milky white in color.

The Steps to Coconut Wine Making:

1. The Preparation and the Collection of Coconut Sap

The first thing that is needed is the two bamboo containers. This is to be able to collect the "juice or sap" that will be needed in order to make the wine. Mostly in the Philippines, it is the Mananguete's profession (coconut sap/tuba gatherer) to gather all the needed materials out in nature and provide the coconut sap with Barok to the Wine maker at a certain cost.

It was noted that the quality of Tuba depends on the Tuba gatherer or Mananguete. He who knows how to mix the right amount of Barok to the coconut sap will produce a very good Coconut Wine. Each coconut tree have different amount of liquid (coconut sap) produced; if the Tuba gatherer can master the right mixture then he will be known as an excellent Tuba gatherer.

2. The Fermentation & Distillation Process

The morning after all the coconut sap that has been collected then the fermentation process begins. The sap will be placed into a glass container and that way any sediment can be seen through the glass, then it will start to bubble, it must be left in the container until the bubbling starts to subside. This will usually last three to four days.

Note: you can drink Tuba in this stage or fresh from the tree. It has a kind of rough sweetness taste in it or mapakla .

After this you will want to carefully transfer it from one container to the other to separate the sediment settled at the bottom of the previous container. These sediments are already considered as a refuse/waste. Then the next step of distillation will take place, which will take four to five days. This should get rid of all the sediment. Now you should transfer from one container to another, then you will cover the container, then after a few weeks if you see more sediment then you will want to separate it again.

Note: After every decantation/filtration process, the amount of liquid will become less and less, so it is necessary to have a Tuba reserve in another glass bottle to be used in refilling the main container after the sediment is removed. Make sure the new container is full to the neck so the Tuba will not turn sour. Then cover it tightly.

The longer that you let this wine ferment the stronger that it will become.

The Tuba that undergoes a long sedimentation process becomes more potent and higher alcohol content. This is called Bahalina. Leave the container for months before you repeat the process if you see a little sediment.

Many people like to let their coconut wine age about a year and then drink it while some people prefer to let it age for three to five years because if you can wait that long it will usually have excellent taste to it. Coconut wine is something that most people don’t try to make at home, as it’s hard and much of the process is long and difficult to make.

Note: The longer the sedimentation process, the darker red it will become and when you tap the glass container it will make a high pitch echoing sound which means it is now Bahalina. One year old coconut wine is already good, but those that are aged 3 to 5 years or more have much smoother taste. When you tap the glass at this stage, it will produce a much clearer, high pitch echoing sound.

Coconut Wine Making for me is a captivating experience, watching Tuba turned into Bahalina in a few years and being able to taste a real Bahalina aged over 3 years.  How about Bahalina that is aged 5 years or more what would it taste?

Definitions:

Sap - The nectar that comes out when you cut an unopened coconut flower or inflorescence.

Barok - Barok is the bark of a tree that is reddish-tan in color. According to Wikipedia it comes from a red lauan tan bark tree, a kind of red mangrove tree. Barok is used for colorant and preservative as it offset fermentation.

Mananguete or Manananggot-  A person who prepares the collection of coconut sap and climbs the coconut tree to collect the sap also known as Tuba gatherer.

Bahalina- the end result of Tuba after it is fermented and distilled for a year or more. It is an organic alcoholic drink that has no chemicals added but only mixed with Barok which is known for its medicinal properties and coconut sap that also has high medicinal properties.

Inspired by true events, The Vow earns it sentimentality instead of being unfairly manipulative, and for this genre, that's a quality that goes a long way. A romantic movie coupled with a fine balance of humor and melodrama, The Vow is a bittersweet amnesia story starring Rachel McAdams as Paige and Channing Tatum as her husband Leo. With the running narration "Life is all about moments of impact...And how they change our lives forever. But what if one day, you could no longer remember any of them?" Can the love of a lifetime find a second chance?

The young wedded couple, who, at the beginning of the movie, are the only ones seen getting out of a downtown Chicago theater. Snow has just fallen, it's quiet and romance is in the air. Paige suddenly gets the kinky idea of making love at the next stop sign. Then a moment of impact happens, literally, as plow rear ends them and sends Paige crashing through the windshield and into a coma.

Weeks later, she wakes up but has no memory of the past four years with Leo or the sacred vow she gave and received on their wedding day. In her mind, she's still a law student living up to her parents’ (Jessica Lange and Sam Neill) lofty expectations; she’s just broken up with her fiancé Jeremy (Scott Speedman); and she hasn’t yet developed the quirks that define her current personality. For instance, she can’t believe she’s a sculptor and a vegetarian, and she’s amazed to learn “the senator?” Barack Obama is now the President of the United States, and that she voted for him.

Still hoping that Paige's memory will come back in just a matter of time, Leo endures the pain of being a stranger to his own wife knowing it is not going to be that easy. Willing to start from the beginning, He is planning to get her fall in love with him again, which is no easy task.

Given everything we know about romantic films, we can visualize outbursts of pain and crying; we know there will be warm moments of smiles and happiness; we know there will be conflicts between Leo and Paige's uptight, snobbish parents, whom Paige's hasn't spoken to in years; and we suspect there will be rekindling of sorts between Paige and Jeremy. In this film, indeed we can anticipate a lot of the movie's scene ahead of time.

What is Coconut Wine?

Some coconut farmers in the Philippines make use of coconut sap for Coconut Wine making, which is called "Tuba or Bahalina".

The selection of names for Coconut Wine in the Philippines varies from the region it was produced. In Luzon, it is mostly called Lambanog where as in Visayas it is called as Tuba. The primary difference is the color and the mixture of the Coconut Wine. Tuba is the product of mixing Barok (A reddish color bark of mangrove tree) with the coconut sap, which in turn make Tuba red in color and sometimes called the Coconut Red Wine. On the other hand, Lambanog, sometimes known as Coconut Vodka - is the pure coconut sap (without Barok mix) almost colorless or milky white in color.

The Steps to Coconut Wine Making:

1. The Preparation and the Collection of Coconut Sap

The first thing that is needed is the two bamboo containers. This is to be able to collect the "juice or sap" that will be needed in order to make the wine. Mostly in the Philippines, it is the Mananguete's profession (coconut sap/tuba gatherer) to gather all the needed materials out in nature and provide the coconut sap with Barok to the Wine maker at a certain cost.

It was noted that the quality of Tuba depends on the Tuba gatherer or Mananguete. He who knows how to mix the right amount of Barok to the coconut sap will produce a very good Coconut Wine. Each coconut tree have different amount of liquid (coconut sap) produced; if the Tuba gatherer can master the right mixture then he will be known as an excellent Tuba gatherer.

2. The Fermentation & Distillation Process

The morning after all the coconut sap that has been collected then the fermentation process begins. The sap will be placed into a glass container and that way any sediment can be seen through the glass, then it will start to bubble, it must be left in the container until the bubbling starts to subside. This will usually last three to four days.

Note: you can drink Tuba in this stage or fresh from the tree. It has a kind of rough sweetness taste in it or mapakla .

After this you will want to carefully transfer it from one container to the other to separate the sediment settled at the bottom of the previous container. These sediments are already considered as a refuse/waste. Then the next step of distillation will take place, which will take four to five days. This should get rid of all the sediment. Now you should transfer from one container to another, then you will cover the container, then after a few weeks if you see more sediment then you will want to separate it again.

Note: After every decantation/filtration process, the amount of liquid will become less and less, so it is necessary to have a Tuba reserve in another glass bottle to be used in refilling the main container after the sediment is removed. Make sure the new container is full to the neck so the Tuba will not turn sour. Then cover it tightly.

The longer that you let this wine ferment the stronger that it will become.

The Tuba that undergoes a long sedimentation process becomes more potent and higher alcohol content. This is called Bahalina. Leave the container for months before you repeat the process if you see a little sediment.

Many people like to let their coconut wine age about a year and then drink it while some people prefer to let it age for three to five years because if you can wait that long it will usually have excellent taste to it. Coconut wine is something that most people don’t try to make at home, as it’s hard and much of the process is long and difficult to make.

Note: The longer the sedimentation process, the darker red it will become and when you tap the glass container it will make a high pitch echoing sound which means it is now Bahalina. One year old coconut wine is already good, but those that are aged 3 to 5 years or more have much smoother taste. When you tap the glass at this stage, it will produce a much clearer, high pitch echoing sound.

Coconut Wine Making for me is a captivating experience, watching Tuba turned into Bahalina in a few years and being able to taste a real Bahalina aged over 3 years.  How about Bahalina that is aged 5 years or more what would it taste?

Definitions:

Sap - The nectar that comes out when you cut an unopened coconut flower or inflorescence.

Barok - Barok is the bark of a tree that is reddish-tan in color. According to Wikipedia it comes from a red lauan tan bark tree, a kind of red mangrove tree. Barok is used for colorant and preservative as it offset fermentation.

Mananguete or Manananggot-  A person who prepares the collection of coconut sap and climbs the coconut tree to collect the sap also known as Tuba gatherer.

Bahalina- the end result of Tuba after it is fermented and distilled for a year or more. It is an organic alcoholic drink that has no chemicals added but only mixed with Barok which is known for its medicinal properties and coconut sap that also has high medicinal properties.