The Driver's Seat

Summer isn't over yet. So let's take a break and get out of the city for a while...

Going to Argao...


Going to Boljoon...

For those living abroad, don't you feel like coming home and bask in the hot summer sun?

What! It's Been a Year Already?

A year ago I wrote: "Hey, I am new here! In fact I am groping blindly (as in literally) around the site. I am not sure what I am going to write on my blog and how to go about it. But it does not matter anyhow because I am excited, and learning can be a lot of fun. This lady here is trying to enter into the blog scene!" Didn't notice it's already been a year since then. I guess my blog is still a work in progress...

Perpetual Succour and the GSIS Hospitalization Program

On the third day after our mother suffered a stroke, upon the approval of her doctor we moved her to Perpetual Succour Hospital because (my mother who is a retired school teacher) we wanted to avail of the GSIS Hospitalization Program initiated by Atty. Winston Garcia. Thus we were able to avail of considerable discounts in Room Rates, CT Scan and 2D Echo procedures, a little of laboratory exams, but most important of all, we were able to enjoy I think a whooping 30% discount in medicines bought from the hospital pharmacy. (Why don’t hospitals put an extra ER in their pharmacies so buyers who felt like gasping for breath or experiencing fainting spells upon seeing the medicine bills can easily be assisted?) Anyway, I just want to acknowledge that the GSIS program is a big help but I wish it should be the government’s thrust to launch similar programs nationwide and not just on selected sites.

That Monday, and North Gen Hospital

On March 26, I woke and heard Nanay (my Mother) calling me from her room asking me to help her stand up. Warning bells immediately rang! We were used to her rising up ahead of us in the mornings, having her breakfast alone, before moving on to tend to her little garden. Suddenly she was asking for my help? When I tried to move her up and she slid down back to her bed, my niggling fear was confirmed. STROKE! Our cousin was kind enough to bring us to the Emergency Room of the Cebu North Gen Hospital. And thus our journey begun...

I now look back to that day and pondered on the impact of a mere single event, that totally and probably irrevocably changed long-time practices or patterns in our daily lives. Sometimes a family member's sickness, and perhaps death, can take some time to sink in and be finally accepted. And that's what happened to us too. My sister and I went on for a week with little or no sleep at all. And to top it all, we have to contend with the daily battle of astronomical medicine expenses. All these aggravated our already taut nerves, and I thought that perhaps we were already near our breaking points. But the heavens gave a little mercy, and gave us little strength everyday to cope with all the worries. Perhaps our only regret was that we were not able to thank the staff of North Gen Hospital properly, because we left in a hurry to move to Perpetual Succour Hospital. We felt that they truly cared for us during those times...

Squeeze That Butt In!

Take a peek into an ordinary life - a tricycle ride! A motorcycle that is supposed to carry only 2 or a maximum of three people can now accommodate 7 passengers excluding the driver. A contraption is attached to the bike that seats 4 people while 3 others are asked to sit behind the driver. Comfort is definitely out of the question, and nobody is complaining. Rather than walk a long way, people would rather suffer to squeeze their butt in to fit in the small claustrophobic space.

Nice To Be Back!

I feel sluggish like someone who just woke up from a deep sleep. After a lengthy period of absence (thanks to the internet connection problems) and also due to some projects which piled up during those times, I am now finally back!

But because it feels like starting all over again (can you imagine 2 months of inactivity!), I am at a loss for words. But one thing for sure, it feels nice to be back! Yeheey!!!

There is a little peeping flower up there. Because there's already a hint of summer in the air (can not ignore the dusty roads and the heat...)

Cleaning the Christmas Clutter...and the Virtual Tsunami

I have taken down the Christmas lanterns from my site now that Christmas season is officially over. At home, the task was more backbreaking (okay its exaggerated, but partly true). I don't know why when the decorations were set-up, I haven't noticed that it was a tiresome task. In fact, it was even enjoyable. But the cleaning-up after is another matter. It took twice as long to get the decorations and the lights back to their boxes than to put them up the tree. I can not understand why I seem to put items in the wrong boxes. Its frustrating actually. Okay, maybe in truth I am just lazy. hehehe... But my mother has this knack of not only matching items to their boxes, but she can even return them properly as if they have never been taken off from their individual boxes. Yeah, thats right. Much as I admire her for that, no please, I am happy being myself.

The year 2006 was good for me, but the opening salvo of 2007 was not quite welcoming. An earthquake in Taiwan brought havoc to internet connections, and our connections went dead. As of writing, although there have been sporadic connections and seeming normalcy, connecting to sites is still much slower than the usual normal speed. I have called Globelines probably a million times to air my frustrations, and switched back and forth from being glumly despondent to being a raving lunatic. I realized, Ahaa! these reactions clearly pointed out that my addiction for internet surfing and blogging is probably deeper than I thought. Got me into thinking that maybe it is time to re-evaluate my fondness for the wide world web. It is not my intention to go overboard. Therefore I decided to include in my new year's resolutions (there are none actually) to go easy on surfing and blogging. Thats all that I can say for now.

Adieu Christmas 2006 and An Antique Corner

Two more days, and we will be saying goodbye to Christmas and the year 2006. The gifts underneath the christmas tree have long been gone (actually since after the Christmas eve). And the Christmas Tree which once reigned with splendor with all its glittering lights will once more go back to obscurity.

This is my Auntie's antique corner. It is beautiful isn't it? There is a growing appreciation of handcarved wooden furnitures that looks like those our lolas used to have. Actually we have our own set of wooden sofa, a dining table, and 2 rocking chairs made purely of wood that were once owned by my grandmother. I used to hate them when I was a child because I find them hard to sit on. However now that I am older, I do appreciate them more for their worth (they are my lola's furnitures), than their looks (because they are more functional than beautiful). But what make them more endearing is, they were made long before I was born, yet they have remained sturdy and still useful to us. Thank you Lola, for your gift!

Kinsay Tiguwang? (Dili Kami Uy!)

Ayala Scene...

"Who says we are old? Definitely not!" - Who says that only teenage girls want to hang out in the malls? Even golden girls enjoy hanging around too! Which will only prove that having a ka-BERKS is not only for the teens.

After raising kids, sending them to college, watching them raise their own families, a group of mothers (retired school teachers) re-live moments of youth!

Ayala Center Cebu

There is a little park tucked in Ayala Center Cebu. It has small pathways, trees, and a little lagoon in the center. Compared probably with other parks in other big cities in the world, it may seem insignificant. But I like walking around it. I took one picture from my camera but never did the place justice. Then I found this picture from skycraper. To the artist who took it, Thanks for making it look nice. Please take a walk with me. At the end of the pathway is a door to Max Fried Chicken. My sister and I spent some beautiful Sunday lunches here sitting beside the windows watching people go by.

Midnight Mass

Christmas for us is not complete without the Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve. Thankfully, even if we have already adopted a lot of Western Christmas practices due to cross-cultural influences, I am glad we are able to keep this tradition year after year.

This year, there were fewer faces around as we celebrate the Noche Buena and it was a bit lonelier. A cousin and her family left for the United States to work. Another cousin is in Dubai. While a brother is in Taiwan. Although you are not here with us physically, you are all present in our hearts as we celebrate Christmas. But of course, nothing can compare with having your presence with us. We miss your laughter...

Trying Hard

I went through a sleepless night. Doing...? Blogging! Joined sometime in April. Tried to stay away from it. Went into hiatus (in the pretext of doing something more important). Eventually came back to it (as in full circle). Why? I do not know! Sa Bisaya pa – Na-u-ngo! In English – na-Addict. (the literal translation of this Bisayan term really refers to being a witch. But it could also mean being addicted to something). Bisaya ray maka-sabut! (only a Bisaya can get it. But for the benefit of the global community, translations are provided).

Here is my story…

I went from being someone indifferent to being totally over-zealous in my blog. Armed with total ignorance of website designing and everything that there is to it, I have tried to read instructions from the internet maybe a thousand times in the hope of being able to fully digest them. But still I could not comprehend a lot of things. I thought the writing part would be a breeze, but I could not stop myself from re-writing things a million times over, because I was afraid my write-ups were incomprehensible. From all my readings about Blog designs, the only words I could remember are “tweak” and “widgets” because they sound cute. But honestly I am still piecing the two together. But am I giving up? Nope! I guess I will still be around for years (?). Hopefully.

The Second Bridge

This is the Marcelo Fernan Bridge, the second bridge that links the bigger island of Cebu to the little island of Lapu-lapu (Mactan). The photo must have been taken by an artist because it looks dreamy. The bridge was named after a famous Cebuano legislator.

The bridge is only about 30 minutes from our place on a regular-traffic day. It was finished in 1999 and I remembered that it was causing massive traffic everyday while it was being built. So those who have left Cebu sometimes in the 80’s or early 90’s may have surely missed it. But no worry, visitors and balikbayan can always choose to pass by it upon arriving to Cebu. It is nearer to the airport than the first bridge.

Piniritong Buwad Nga Danggit!

This morning I had a hearty breakfast consisting of piniritong kan-on ( fried rice), piniritong buwad nga danggit and hotdog. Why the choice of hotdog together with the old time favorites, it’s my sister’ favorite breakfast treat. I would have wanted sikwate (Bisaya chocolate drink made from cacao) to go with all these, but I have long gone easy on sikwate, and besides the morning is not chilly. One of our suki nga tindera passed by and offered puto, unfortunately she was late because we had already prepared the danggit and the rice. We promised her that we’ll probably have puto next time if she can come earlier. And by that time, I would definitely prepare some sikwate to go with it, and some mangga of course.

Buwad danggit (dried fish) is a favorite not only among the Bisaya but it has also won the hearts of the Manilenos. To cook a perfect buwad nga danggit is not to over-cook it. Just heat some oil, drop the danggit and tossed it around for a few seconds, and voila! It would be perfectly crunchy. It is best with suka nga may siling kulikot.

Used to be sold only in tiangge (as in real market), but they have now invaded the air-conditioned supermarkets as well. However if anyone would like to buy in big volumes, it is advisable to buy in Tabo-an where one can still haggle for some hangyo (or discounts). There are some other dried fish actually, but some of them are too salty for my taste. This is the reason why buwad danggit has an edge over the others, because it is not too salty and not too overpowering. But unlike other buwad which can be used to complete other dishes like as part of utan bisaya or utang monggos, buwad danggit is best eaten alone on its own merit.

P.S.

(I forgot to mention the most important thing. One is advised to eat kinamot for this dish to enjoy it fully. It means best eaten with bare hands. Just make sure that you will wash your hands thoroughly after eating...hahahaha!)

Tinuwang Isda

No fuss. No frills. Just plain simple boiling.

This is how tinuwang isda is cooked. It is the first dish I learned to cook as a young girl because all I have to do then is simply drop the fish and the panakot (or spices) in the boiling water, then wait for a few more minutes and presto! I 'm done with my cooking.

But that is not the end of the story. When I got older, I learned that the secret to a real good tinuwa is in the fish. Got to have it fresh because it is the fish that will give the soup its distinct taste. When one can afford, one can choose the likes of lapu-lapu , tangigue, mamsa and other big fishes with white meat (mga isda nga hiniwa or sliced fishes). However for us ordinary folks, we can readily settle for smaller fishes like anduhaw or tamarong.

The spices are sliced tomatoes, green onions (although sometimes I used the bulb onions), sili (medium green pepper) and tangad (or lemon grass). Okay, the lemon grass lives up to its name by giving out a lemony scent, but it is the green sili that perfects the aroma and gives the tinuwa that hot sting. How hot it is going to be will depend on the cook’s discretion. A few more sili could be added to make it really HOT! One could stop there already. But other people would like to add ginger. And then, for the true blue Bisaya, lukot (or sea weed) is added to complete the dish.

Actually one can make a hundred and one variations by simply adding some vegetables here and there, the most common vegetables of which are kamunggay and agbati. However most often people would prefer to keep it very simple, so that only the flavor of the fish will be the most dominant feature. This simple dish is actually a favorite in all social classes. The only difference would lie in the choice of fishes. Otherwise, it is a leveler of sorts. For a Bisaya “makalipay ug maayo ang makahigop ug init nga sabaw aron panington ug bugbog” (sipping hot soup can give happiness to a Bisaya, especially when one breaks out in sweats). I am not sure if I have translated it correctly. But just try to get the gist. Thanks!

Let's Pause For Some Break...

I have been quite busy this past month tinkering with my website. I got into an epiphany of sorts and realized it was getting lonely blogging alone, so I decided it was about time to get in touch with fellow bloggers who share the same interests. In fact I have become ambitious and experimented doing some link exchanges although I am not sure of my site’s acceptance since it does not have any traffic to boast of. I just wish those communities I am interested in, will be patient with me.

My site is actually just a one-page blog, but because I am not a techie and never knew anything about web designing, I am totally dependent on Blogger.com. Sometimes I wish I could add some pages or rearrange some topics or articles. There are actually a thousand and one things I wanted to inject to my Blog because I want to bring it to a new level, but unfortunately I don’t know how to go about it. Anyhow, while I am mulling on my next move, I will just have to continue blogging on….

By the way, I just might take a Christmas break…

Utan Bisaya...

Kalbasang puwa, kalbasang puti, sikwa, gabi, okra , tawong, batong, kamunggay, agbati, sibuyas bombay, kamatis, subak nga piniritong isda nga gikunis-kunis (fried fish flakes). Each of which are cut into bite size except for agbati and kamunggay. For these two, only their leaves and udlot (tips) are included. The fish flakes and the vegetables are then boiled together (but for best results, the gabi should be very soft before the other vegetables are dropped in). Kamunggay and agbati are the last to be cooked. Boil and simmer in plain water. And voila! You get the most "lami-an nga Utan Bisaya" (literally means “most delicious Bisayan vegetable stew”)!

For me, utan bisaya is the most delicious soup because it is simple, clear and bereft of any animal fat. The agbati and kamunggay give it a peculiar aroma but not in a distasteful way, while the okra provides a slightly creamy texture. According to my mother, this vegetable stew is “walay kontra unya maayo sa lawas” (nothing hurtful to the body yet very healthful)! If I have taken it for granted when I was younger, now that I am much older, I do truly appreciate its real value. To complete a divine meal, it is best eaten with hot rice and piniritong buwad (fried dried fish) or else piniritong isda nga i-sawsaw sa suka nga naay patis (toyo) ug siling kulikot (fried fish dipped in spicy vinegar with small chili and soy sauce). Tungod ani, panington ka ug bugbog (should I have to translate this?). And as husbands here would say, “sa kalami gyud sa pagka-on puede nang malimtan ang asawa” (with food as delicious as this, any husband could readily forget his wife!). Which I think is the best compliment any vegetable stew could ever get!

Seriously, I believe that utan bisaya is worthy of a tribute because not only has it embodied the frugal lifestyle of our Bisayan forefathers, it has also survived the passing of time and continues to be appreciated until now. In the past, parents stripped themselves to the barest of essentials and tried to live simply so that children can go to college. People then, not only share food among neighbors and visitors, but help each other in times of dire need. But progress has demanded some price. And some of our well-loved traits are no longer practical in these times and age. As we welcome fast-foods and globalization, it is probably nice to at least keep something from our past and pass it on to the next generation. Whatever changes we will encounter and adapt, it is good to know that we have something that is probably uniquely Bisaya.

Banana Cue!

It is unassuming, cheap, and we grew up on it! I remembered pooling money together with friends in school, in order to buy pan-init (it means hot bread), or banana cue for snacks. If we were lucky enough to stretch our money a little further, our snacks would be a feast consisting of a family-sized Coke or Pepsi, and a large-sized Chippy.

For those of you who have left home and who have settled somewhere in other continents, but who at some point in your lives came to love the banana cue, I would just like to let you know that it has remained the sweet, unassuming, cheap snack that is still sold in those simple carts (tables actually). If for some of you, the memory of the banana cue has somewhat dimmed, let me remind you that it is best eaten HOT (meaning fresh out of the fire) and skewered in a bamboo stick, with dripping melted brown sugar, lavishly coated all over it!

Christmas Is Just Around The Bend...

Christmas is just around the bend… As a child I thought Christmas is some kind of a ritual that is celebrated in the same way year after year. How can a child forget twinkling Christmas lights, glittering trees and gifts with ribbons. Or the memories of delicious food on the table (which was always more than the usual)…There were new dresses, and sometimes toys. In my eyes as a child, it was the most magical time of the year! 

As I grew older, I came to realize that Christmas is not actually the same every year. Not all Christmases are merry. There were times when Christmases were celebrated joyfully. But then, there were Christmases when we were in mourning. Not all times that food was abundant on the table. There were also quite a number of times that there was just enough to get by. But my childhood memories of Christmas were quite happy! Over the years, Christmas took on a different shape and persona. From simple family gatherings to extravagant corporate productions, each Christmas has given me joy. And for as long as I live, I will probably look forward to it every year. 

Now it is time for me to take out the boxes of decorations once more and light up the Christmas tree…

Ghosts...

In the usual tradition of honoring our dead, we took a day off and trooped to the cemeteries on November 1 to be with our dearly departed. On this day, we brave the human traffic and endure the heat. We even forgive the vendors for their over-priced flowers. My father has been dead for more than 10 years now, but we tried hard to be there for him every year because we would not want him to feel alone when all the other dead have their families at their graves. Funny, because it is as if he can still care...

I remember when he died, we have never experienced anything out of the ordinary. He just silently slipped out of our lives leaving a void. There were no weird noises or sighting, except for one instance in my boarding house in Makati (where I worked during that time). That was in November 1 of 1991, about 3 months after he died. There were only 2 of us left in the whole house because all of our board mates went home to their respective provinces. At around six in the evening, my boardmate and I heard a knock. But when I came to open the door, there was no one outside. Just the empty darkness.

It should have felt spooky but instead, I felt desolate and really sad. I felt in my heart that it was my father who came to visit me, perhaps to say goodbye.

Are ghosts real? I bet they are! But the ghosts that really haunt us are actually the ghosts of our past. Like the ghosts of our past mistakes... Or maybe the ghosts of past failures... Or perhaps the ghosts of unfulfilled dreams. Ever wondered why we feared them? Maybe because their sheer memory still have the power to inflict pain even after they have long been gone...