HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Kinunot

One of a Bicolano’s comfort foods, kinunot is either made from stingray or baby shark. You can also use a fleshy, white fleshed fish which does not have a strong taste, but I don’t really like using it. It’s a  dish easy to make, uses simple ingredients, but is delicious. The Bicolano market usually has stingray.

To make kinunot na pagi, you will need:

pagi, about 1/2 kilo, boiled

which is then flaked

garlic,onions, sili (you can also use siling haba) 

kalamansi juice (about 10-12 fruits)

malunggay leaves

coconut milk and cream from one coconut, of course

When flaking the stingray, add also the skin part which is non-gritty. Dice it, not flake. In a pan, pour in the coconut milk, add the garlic and onions. When the coco milk is boiling, add the flaked stingray. Simmer until the liquid is reduced and oil starts to come out. Add the coconut cream (kakang gata). Throw in the sili and the malunggay. If using siling labuyo, you may slice it for added heat. When the coconut cream is reduced, add the kalamansi juice. Add salt to taste. Serve with hot rice.

If using shark meat or older stingray, it’s advisable to add some grated ginger and laurel leaves to remove the unpleasant odor/taste as some shrak and mature stingray tend to smell mapanghi. 

How To Torture Your Friends (And Look Good While At It)

Maaga kong binigay ang regalo ko kay Kulet. Kaya maaga pa din ay nangungulit na.

Kulet: Mama, pwede ko na ba buksan yung gift na bigay sa akin ni Tita Biyay?   

Mama: No, sa Christmas mo pa yan pwedeng buksan.

Kulet: Sabi ni Tita, pwede ko na daw buksan yan.                                                                 

Mama: Hindi nya sinabi yan.

Kulet: Narinig ko, sinabi nya. Tinanong ko sa kanya “Tita Biyay, pwede ko bang buksan yung regalo mo sa akin? Tapos sabi nya “Pwede na”.                                                                                           

Mama: Hay naku, basta hindi yan sinabi ni Tita mo. Wag mo na akong kulitin at baka hindi ka na makatanggap ng regalo galing sa akin.

Nakasimangot si Kulet, bitbit ang regalo at pumunta sa tatay.

Kulet: Ano kaya ang laman nito? (Sabay alog ng regalo). Naku, may nabasag yata sa loob. Papa, buksan na natin ang regalo kasi may nabasag yata.                                                                               

Tatay: (Nakialog din ng regalo) Wala naman akong naririnig ah.

Kulet: Meron. May tunog nabasag. (Alog uli ng regalo) Ayan naririnig ko nga o.  Buksan na natin papa.

Tatay: Hay kulet!

———

Note: Hindi ko po regalo yang sa pic kay Kulet. Bigay yan ni Santa sa kanya.

Palawan Getaway

I did not post this earlier in deference to Ondoy’s victims. In the face of its after effects, this was trivial and superficial.

We were in Puerto Princesa from Sept. 24-26. Our base there was Lola Itang Pension House. The place is clean, quiet, and is situated at the town center. The room I had reserved was big enough to accomodate three people and did not feel claustrophobic. It was simple enough: aircon, tv, bathroom, towels, soap… For the room size, the rate is incredibly reasonable: Php 850.

We took a walk at the town center and decided to have lunch at the Balinsasayaw Restaurant.

  From the top: ensaladang talong,fried lumpiang ubod, ukoy, inihaw na pusit and inihaw na manok

I booked us a City Tour with Topstar Tours and Travels. After lunch, they picked us up from the pension house and we were taken to the Crocodile Farm, Iwahig Penal Colony, the late Senator Mitra’s sprawling ranch, Baker’s Hill Bakery, Binuatan Creations for native, handwoven products, and the Tiange-Tiange for the souvenirs.

Mealtime at the Crocodile Farm

The Iwahig Penal Colony was interesting to me because of my job.  The place was huge. The inmates took care of rice fields, gardens, fishponds and other livelihood projects. From the moment you enter the gate, you get bombarded by inmates to buy their products. It’s like being in Divisoria., only less crowded. The items were overpriced too. The same items are being sold at the Tiange-Tiange at a cheaper price.

The next day, I booked us again a tour to the Underground River. It was a bit far as we had to go on a two hour road trip and then on a 30 minute boat ride before we get to the River. The view was spectacular, the cliffs, magnificent.

The underground river was awesome. Knowing that you were going into the belly of a mountain impressive. It also made me decide that I’m not really into caves. The eerie darkness gave me the creeps. Even the magnificent rock formations did not console me. I was really, really glad when I espied the sunlight from afar. 

On the way back to Sabang beach, heavy rains and a strong wind accompanied us as we rode a banca in the middle of the sea. It was raining so hard you could not see the shore even if you were a few miles from it. It was good that our boatmen were very good. Little did we know that at that time, Ondoy was coming in. Wet, cold and bedraggled, we decided to forgo having dinner at the touristy places in town and elected to have a hot dinner at a nearby noodle house, Pham’s Chaolong Haus. Judging from the local crowd, it was a popular place. We had beef stew chao long and a baguette sliced in a half and topped with cheese. A knockout combination! It was steaming hot, the noodles were chewy, tand he spiciness was comforting. We also bought dessert at Divine Sweets just across the street. The cakes there were very good. Dense and not too sweet. The chocolate cake was slightly bitter, just the way I like it.

The next day, the weather turned for the worse. The wind was whistling and the rains were not letting up. I was fretting that our flight back to Manila that day might be cancelled due to the rains, but was thankful that we did not book an island hopping tour that day. I was not about to repeat yesterday’s experience of being caught in a storm in the middle of the sea!  

We had breakfast in a tapa house and then rushed to the market to buy pasalubongs and bilins.  We liked last night’s dinner so much that we had lunch at what was reputedly the better chaolong place, Bona’s. 

  Beef stew and buto-buto chao long

At the airport, the atmosphere was tense. Earlier flights have already been cancelled and there were hundred of people waiting for news on their flights. News began streaming in about how Ondoy was wrecking havoc in Metro Manila. My apprehension grew. What if our plane does not arrive? Our plane arrived hours late. it did not ease my apprehension. What if the plane will not be able to leave? We boarded that plane and to my relief, it was able to take off and we landed safely at the Centennial Airport. When we arrived, this is what greeted us. Even then, we did not have an idea of how great a damage Ondoy did. It was only the following day when we realized the enormity of what happened.

Happy

Since yesterday, I’ve been grinning ear to ear. Last night, I had a big smile on my face. Even today, when i woke, I was happy. Happyhappyhappyhappy.

Second Chance

Today, December 15, is the day I celebrate what I consider to be a second extension in life.

Six years ago on this date, I was on my way to Manila, together with my two aunts and a friend. We were on aboard a pick up and somebody else was driving. While we were along Quirino Highway, the pick-up  suddenly crossed to the other lane and turned turtle twice.  Before we turned turtle, I remember asking the driver why he was crossing the other side of the road. I also remember one of my aunts screaming the driver’s name. But it was too late. It felt like we were being tossed around . Everything was going too fast. There was darkness and I felt somebody on top of me. With some difficulty, we managed to extricate our entangled limbs and we managed to get out. The pick up was in terrible shape. The windshield was shattered and the roof was caved in. People passing by would look, shake their heads and ask: “How many people died here?”.

Miraculously, no one did. Only two people were injured. I suffered a huge bump in the head and my aunt’s leg was bleeding. Somebody who lived nearby took us in and gave us breakfast and lunch while we reported the incident and had the pick-up towed. Two days later, I was buying Christmas decor somewhere in Quezon City. For a few days after that, my body was aching in parts, but that was that.  I did get a check up but all it showed was that my brain was still intact.

Until I lost my wallet, I used to keep a picture of the pick-up as it was lying on its back on a ditch. I  wanted to keep a reminder of how precious life is and how we can lose it in a blink of an eye. I vowed to be a better person after that day.

Would somebody have died in there? Maybe. I’m just thankful that I got away with a bump on the head. Has my life changed for the better after the accident?  Maybe just a little bit. I think I am now more appreciative of the people I love. And I realize now that life is indeed fleeting and precious.

What changes would you do in your life?

Kulet: We Are Family

Naruto  

Isang araw, habang kumakain sina Kulet:

Kulet: Mama, kasama ba ako sa family?

Nanay: Oo naman anak. Sa family, merong papa, mama, ate, kuya, at ikaw, ang baby namin.

Kulet: E si Ate Siony (katulong), family din ba natin sya?

Nanay: Hindi kasi meron din syang family na sarili nya.

Kulet:  Mama, pwede ba natin isama sa family natin si Naruto, ha mama? At saka pwede rin ba na si _______(kaibigan ni Naruto), isama na din sa family natin? Please, mama.

Nanay (Sabay baling sa asawa): Oy Joselito, ikaw nga ang kumausap dito sa anak mo.