Something Fishy

After much furor and a handful of errors, my fledgling chef career has reached its lowest point. I came from the grocery store and brought home a small plastic bag of galunggong, among others, to cook sometime in the middle of the week. Incidentally, I googled galunggong or gigi for short and learned that female gigi is hard-tail mackerel in English while male gigi is round scad. Of course, I had no way of telling the gender of the bunch of dead fish lying on the kitchen sink so I'm not going to refer to these in English for purposes of this entry but will instead use the fish's popular nickname among us Pinoys.


It was my second time to buy gigi and the first time was uneventful as it should be. And so nothing prepared me for the shock of finding my gigis unready for the freezer, uncleaned, complete with all their insides that should have been taken care of by the grocery staff. I was in panic mode! My husband was not there to do something or, at the very least, to listen to me curse. I had never cleaned a single fish in my life before and had no idea how to do it. All I knew was that there was icky stuff to take out of it and that was it. But I just couldn't bring myself to do it! Gore has never been my kind of thing. I watched Kill Bill with eyes closed for the most part of the movie. I dropped out of B.S. Biology knowing I'd never have the stomach to open up a frog. So how? How on earth could I possibly pull this one off?


I took a deep breath, tongs in one hand, plastic covering the other, I tried to extract whatever needed extracting but everything just won't come off. So I did away with the tongs and gave it another try with my kitchen shears. When that still didn't work, I settled with my hands.

Only when I was over and done with the job did I really stop to look again at the poor gigis. It was an appalling sight! One fish's body gaped open as if it was attacked by a wild animal. One seemed to have lost its head to a vicious encounter with a psychopath. And the rest looked like they were abused, mauled, tortured by a person who had gone amok.


I was home alone and was near tears. By the time my husband showed up, I was in a foul mood and I refused to speak to him until I fell asleep. It took me quite some time to accept that I just did not take to cooking—and other related tasks—like a fish to water.

25 Random Things About Moi

Just sharing something that has been going around Facebook for weeks now. So here goes:

Rules: Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.

To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.

1. I am banlag. For those who do not know, banlag is the opposite of cross-eyed. In my case, caused by watching TV sideways. Though no doctor has ever confirmed this.
2. I’m always on a high after a videoke night. Yes, even if I never hit the high notes or any notes for that matter.
3. I had piano lessons with a lola for six years and had secret hopes of becoming a virtuoso which, of course, did not materialize.
4. I was a quiz bee champion. In Philippine History. I lost the division level—2 steps before national level—to a very easy question that I overlooked while reviewing. My mother was furious.
5. Every night for more than a month, my husband Nubs and I never missed a viewing of Across the Universe, either the making or the movie itself.
6. I started smoking at age 13 and quit only when my father was diagnosed with lung cancer.
7. I have not forgiven the adult person who, on several occasions, was deliberately unkind to my little Indie. Hell hath no fury like a mother whose child was scorned.
8. I am a certified hothead.
9. On the other hand, I can be very charming when I choose to be—at Customs when I’m carrying excess baggage or at flea markets when I’m haggling for something I’m dying to get my hands on.
10. I used to be quite good at billiards.
11. My most embarrassing moment was standing under the rain somewhere near the Sunken Garden with suds in my hair. (No, don’t blame it on the rain. Blame it on the shower gel that I grabbed when I ran out of gel!)
12. I honestly enjoy doing any domestic chore that involves water. Washing clothes. Cleaning the bathroom. Anything.
13. Tell me a secret and I will bring it to my grave. As in.
14. Many times I have been called a bad influence. But that remains to be proven. Haha!
15. As I push 40, age has become a consideration when I’m shopping for clothes. And yes, shoes. I have this feeling that one cannot get away with everything upon reaching a certain age. I am not Madonna, after all.
16. A psychic friend once told me that I have powers the same as hers.
17. I am a shameless kuripot. I’m a sucker for bargains. And a “sale” sign is enough to send me into frenzy.
18. A good conversation is enough to keep me entertained on a night out. Alcohol is now just an option.
19. I have survived the first 38 years of my life without seafood and vegetables. And I just turned 38 late last year.
20. I need funny people in my life.
21. I wish I were all grown-up during the 60s and the 70s.
22. I am extremely close to my sisters. And I absolutely adore my nephews and niece.
23. I would like to believe that I’m a very reliable friend.
24. I’m on to something that I should have done before. But I ain't telling. Yet.
25. This is my second life. Period.

Shiny Happy Little People

I have found time and time again that kids are the easiest people to please in the world. It also doesn't take much to make them happy. Extremely happy.

It was a seemingly ordinary morning on the last Saturday of January when we, transients in my mother's Batangas home, woke unusually early. We all decided to the make most of the morning, quickly jumped out of bed and headed for the beach. The beach was no longer the beach of my childhood. There was a new promenade to speak of. And there were playgrounds! The kids ran to make a go for the swing, monkey bars and everything. So I took out my camera and tried the best I could to capture the smiles on their young excited faces.

It's Not 'What' But 'Who' Is Cooking in 2009

It's my least favorite place in the world, the kitchen. And I find the least comfort standing right next to the stove. Yes, I am a cooking ignoramus. I am completely clueless as to how to boil an egg, really. I have fried though a good number of anything that can be eaten straight from the frying pan. Yes, eggs. Spam. Chicken. Bacon. Pork belly. Tapa. Sausage. Ham. Rice. Fish. Name it. And that's it.

So for 2009, I have resolved to give the kitchen a second try and take this business of being a housewife a little bit more seriously. You see, I'm going into my seventh year of wife-hood come June, fourth year of motherhood in May but I have yet to cook a decent meal for my husband Nubs and daughter Indie.

Yes, I know. It's a shame.

Saturday night was the launching of my wife/mother/fledgling chef career. The red broiler-like object above—which I found serendipitously among our stored wedding presents during our recent move from one apartment to another—became my springboard for my so-called launch. I was (still am) actually not sure how to call this thing, a stove-top gadget that used steam to turn food from non-edible to edible.

First step was to season the meat. I got the unofficial recipe from my sister Odie who's a great cook. I cannot divulge though how I went about it as this particular recipe is a bestseller in my sister's mini restaurant in our hometown in Batangas.

The meat looked quite photogenic on the grill. I tested one piece with a fork and there was a tender and juicy promise to it. The smell was even more promising. The question was: will it translate to taste? At least it was healthy eating. I mean, there was no cooking oil involved in the process. So there was only natural animal fat to contend with. Like I said, at least.


I cheated on the salad. After all, a neophyte cannot take on too many courses in one go, including something as simple as a leafy concoction. I bought a ready-to-serve pack from Rustan's Fresh—the Oriental kind with creamy mango dressing—and was given a hand by my guest/friend Rosene with the tossing. (I didn't trust myself to do it, actually.)


And so after 3 hours of labor with the red gadget, the table was finally set. The pork was not as juicy as it should have been having been ready an hour or so before. The chicken took too long to cook and was actually still on the raw side we discovered and had to spend some more time in the broiler, again! (The truth is, I couldn't tell if the chicken was cooked and had to enlist Rosene's help. Same with the vegetables.) The wait was worth it though as my primadonna chicken turned out to be winner for the night. Runner-up honors go to the salad which was surprisingly yummy considering it was pre-packed from the grocery store. In its case, cheating did pay I must say.


Now, my guinea pigs (top photo, clockwise: friends Rosene and Irma, daughter Indie, hubby Nubbin) showed signs of enjoying the food. So much so that the lone leg part above, the leftover salad and the bunch of bananas together was the only dinner I managed to serve Nubs' bestfriend Julien who came in late. We honestly thought he wasn't coming!


No matter, Julien like our two female guests seemed very happy though. "Ang sarap ng food!" gushed Rosene before leaving. Feeling like the hostess with the mostest, I boldly invited them to yet another dinner somewhere in the very near future.

Next project: hotpot.

Raise the Maroon Lantern

The Lantern Parade two nights ago was the last official event of the UP Centennial Celebration and it was a shame it was the only Centennial festivity I got to attend. As expected, it was the grandest I've ever witnessed. The crowd was at its biggest; the lanterns (and costumes), at their best; and the streets, at their brightest. The avenue fronting Quezon Hall was teeming with people. Students, of course. Children, my daughter Indie among them. Outsiders wanting to watch the spectacle. Vendors taking advantage of the occasion. Alumni like myself, my husband Nubs and my friends Georgia and Uncle, better known as Concon. Everything was fantastic. Except for the pictures we took. Bummer.


We were late. But that was okay since we made it just it time to see the beautiful angels of Babaylan in their sky-high heels and skimpy outfits. Nubs couldn't resist clicking at the most curvaceous in the group. Too bad our conjugal Nikon was at the repair shop and we had to make do with my old one and its frustrating shutter speed. And we shouldn't have switched the poor thing to "night mode" when there was no tripod at hand. Naturally, our pics turned out blurred, grainy, or both which was just great.


The hall of famer that was FA (College of Fine Arts) came in last. No one could have done the Carnival theme better. From the ticket booth to the umbrellas to the upside down people to the grotesque characters, it was all so superb. Dora the Explorer in the mouth of a crocodile was a bit off though as far as little Indie was concerned. Apparently, she didn't like seeing her favorite treated so badly and was in a semi-sour mood thereafter.


The night was capped with a grand fireworks display. A cool hundred grand burned there was Georgia's calculation. Yeah, maybe. It looked anything but cheap, especially the finale shower which my lowly camera just couldn't capture. Arrgh!

Beating the Holiday Rush

'Tis the season of giving. The list is long. The lines at the malls are longer. The holidays can indeed be a pain at times.

But not to me.

What I have been doing for the last several years is to make my Christmas list as soon as the New Year kicks off. I have around 80 names there. Mostly family and friends. Plus inaanaks. Almost all names are staples. With a few additions when balikbayan relatives are home for the holidays. And one or two taken off the list when a family member passes away.


The best time to start your Christmas shopping is during end-of-season sales that all happen early January. You get to purchase nice presents at half the price if you're lucky. For my young recipients, I almost always buy from Bayo and Big & Small Co. Then there are mid-year sales. There are great finds at Debenhams, Rustan's, even Zara sometimes. The trick is to go when the sale period is almost over and markdowns can go up to 70% off. I gift-hunt in between sale seasons in Greenhills, Dapitan Arcade, Shoemart, Crossings, Toy Kingdom and others. Then there's the big Podium sale first week of October and this is where I shop for the senior citizens in the list, particularly in Living Well. This is usually my last stop for the year.


Come December, all I have to do is take out my shopping bags, wrappers, ribbons, gift tags. And it's a wrap.

A New Dapitan

Along a nondescript road with a name made familiar by virtue of its similarity to Rizal's place of exile in Zamboanga and made famous by its proximity to Manila's oldest university is an equally nondescript structure bearing the name of the street where it stands. Dapitan Arcade is the place to go for the most wonderful bargains and finds. From ceramic export overruns. To native crafts, also overruns. And a whole lot of other exciting things.

Dapitan Arcade is in the corner of Dapitan and Kanlaon Streets, at some point where Quezon City and Manila meet. It is a small palengke-like building during the first three quarters of the year that extends into a mini-street market from October onwards. We run to this shopping haven whenever balikbayan relatives are here and we need pretty Pinoy-ish stuff to give them as send-off presents. We do part of our Christmas shopping there, but long before the Holiday crowds come like as early as summer.

Anyone who’s into country decors will love Dapitan. I’m not but I usually buy stuff for my sister Odie who’s into these things. Among these are a lovely tin watering can that my sister now uses as a flower holder, little ceramic tiles that can be used as wall accents and assorted ceramic bowls, plates, etc. There are also wicker baskets of all shapes and sizes—for bread and pastries, CDs, dirty clothes and even pet dogs—with prices ranging from 20 to 350 pesos only. China goods also abound and they cost less here than in Beijing because these might have originated from Shenzhen.

Among our worthy finds is a pair of scarecrows that we tie to the gate of our Balayan home every Halloween for only 100 pesos each. There's also this tall cylindrical clay vase that I haggled down to 200 pesos. And cool plastic coasters at 5 pieces for Php100. Dapitan has already contributed 3 lamps to Nubs' collection. We have scored quite a number of Christmas ornaments during the few years that we've been frequenting the place. Our favorite buy is a large round capiz shade that we converted into a candle holder that we got for 70 pesos, would you believe? Prices are good at all times. I never had to part with a Ninoy for any single purchase.

No wonder even rich matrons flock to Dapitan. They usually wear wide-brimmed hats over their heads and huge sunglasses over their eyes. The place though has no attraction whatsoever for little kids like my Indie. Everytime we go there, she refuses to get off the car, always exclaiming that it's not a mall. Of course, it's not. Otherwise, everything won't be soooo cheap.