Two Negatives Do Not Make A Positive...

Never mind the mathematical equation. And that rule on English grammar.


The fact is I am not pregnant. About that I am positive.

Bad, Bad Weather

The weather seems to have developed a taste for mind games lately and last Saturday was a proud display of the mastery it has somehow gained.

But I was not to be outwitted. On the car ride on our way to Balayan for my nephew Mojo's 7th birthday, I came prepared with sunglasses in my bag in case the sun decides to shine and jacket in hand in case the rain chooses to fall. Either way, I was determined not to lose the game.

And so it went. From Boracay hot to Baguio cold. From a major downpour to a light drizzle. From dry roads to flooded highways. From ominous dark clouds to promising blue skies.


I hurriedly put on my jacket right before it was about to rain and off when it was about to stop. I quickly wore my shades when the sun was about to come out—not wanting to give it a chance to hurt my eyes—and just as quickly slid them to the top of my head just before it became too dark. This went on and on until finally I did not have enough energy to keep up with the weather and its bag of tricks.

Around 10 kilometers away from our destination, the sun was mockingly back to its old hot self but I was just too tired to care. I refused to take off my jacket in spite of the growing heat nor wear my shades back over my eyes despite the migraine-inducing brightness outside. I sat morosely and stared defiantly ahead, not once glancing upward where the weather was sure to be gloating in its apparent victory over the hapless human being that was me.

Of Kids and Baby-Making

These days Indie has this new interest in the "production" of a sibling and...

INDIE: "Mommy, I will make a sister."

ME: "No, darling, it's papa and mommy who will make your sister."

INDIE: "Okay. So how do you make her?"

Uhmmm... Isn't it a bit too early for the birds and the bees?

Go Mango!

I actually made my first mango cream pie from a buco cream pie recipe I found at the back of the crushed graham pack I bought from the grocery store. It was a simple matter of substituting buco with mango.

My first attempt was for a hotpot dinner with friends where I prepared everything myself, including the drinks. It turned out okay, really. One of my male friends was just about to say how surprisingly good it was when his slice flew from his plate straight to the placemat! The crust was, to be honest about it, not very cooperative with the fork...


With a few tweaks here and there, my mango dessert has grown more "cooperative" and yummier with every try. So yummy, in fact, my husband gained 5 lbs. in a week's time!

Talk About the Weather

It was around six in the evening last Sunday after a brief shower that must have caused the day's hellish weather when suddenly the sky was aglow. Heaven was on fire.


Later that night, the rain poured in torrents. Its heavy sound broken only by bolts of thunder that came with blinding flashes of lightning that sent my Indie cowering even in her half-asleep state. Only when the storm subsided did she fall back into a peaceful slumber, but still with her hands over her ears.

I remember I was just as cowed as a little girl. The oldies at home, to erase our childish fears, used to give us kids some form of explanation that sounded foolish even to our unenlightened ears. They said thunder was merely the sound made when God was bowling—yes, bowling—with his friends up there. While lightning was the doing of shutter-happy angels. Oh well, God must have played a mean game of bowling that stormy Sunday and the heavenly paparazzi simply had a field day.

Greek Easter

Our Hellenic Easter Sunday lunch was unplanned. We were on a drive back to the city from a 5-day Holy Week sojourn in our Batangas home when hunger overtook us somewhere along the highways of Tagaytay. Mano's Greek Taverna was the unanimous choice.

We have previously come across some favorable reviews about the restaurant on a glossy and a broadsheet before so we all expected a good satisfying meal. The owner is of course Mano (in top photo), Greek obviously, married to an olive-skinned Filipina. His place, painted in typical Mediterranean fashion, was actually unpretentious; the food, certainly more affordable than that of Cyma.

We found a quiet nook that we had all to ourselves with a view of Tagaytay's pines and motorists who seemed to be in a rush to return to Manila.

The lamb gyro was good enough, though not as rich and creamy as Cyma's bestselling chicken gyro. The lamb came in small quantities too but that was quite understandable as it was a more costly ingredient compared to chicken or beef.

We were very happy with the grilled pork chops. Tender. With a salty flavor that I loved. (Just an aside, A Taste of L.A. Cafe's pork chops are still the best for me. Seconded by Fish and Company's. Mano's, I think, comes in third.) The french fries were a surprise! Cooked in olive oil. Greaseless. And oh so yummy they did not need dips at all.

Now the tilapia was the day's winner I'd say, judging by my sisters' display of gastronomical pleasure. What made it special was the interesting mixture of olive oil and lemon that it was served with. They could do though with a much fresher fish, said the girls.

The much hyped about baklava was not to be missed. But, disappointingly, turned out to be just that—a hype. It was totally lacking in sweetness and that mouth-watering factor obligatory of desserts, saved only by the apple-cinnamon sauce on top.

The meal was quite heavy so we stayed around for a while, sitting back as Indie and Mano's little boy stood by the window until it was time to go.

Mano had excellent PR skills that extended to the parking lot. He assisted each arriving and departing vehicle like a security guard in the Metro and no one ever had to tip him! That's Mano's Greek Taverna. I sure won't mind coming back.