Watergirl

What a difference a day makes

2010-01-19T18:49:00.000+08:00

Sunday and Monday were not great days, the former seemed to be a perfect example of when things go wrong, they will crash bang hit the skids go wrong. I stayed home on Monday and avoided interacting with people, but some emails seeped in more bad news from people in my life and I knew I should just hide from the outside world for the day.
Today on the other hand was a pretty good day. I went off to piano class in the morning, had a productive hour or so, then went to have a healthy but stomach busting lunch, and walked home with a bag full of tableas and goodies from a store.
As I put what I thought to be a sweet potato in for a quick boil, I discovered that it wasn't just any tuber, but ube (purple yam), a rich, dark ube that called out home to me. Ube jam! Pulled out the recipes from trusted online sources, thanked the grocery gods that I had all the necessary pantry items, and made a small batch of ube jam for myself. Wow, if there's anything that makes me wish I were home, this definitely is one of the top 5. Nothing like a lucky accident to make me feel like life's not so bad after all.

Following tradition

2009-12-31T19:57:00.000+08:00

Day one of the new year/decade, I shall follow a family tradition that was burned into the nuggets of my brain cells: be out of the house, travel, and the year that follows will be full of travel. Or at least spent out of the house. I'll be on the bus for a couple of hours, then on a plane to the frozen north. By evening, I shall be cavorting with friends, and spend two more days in the wintery capital, before heading back for more work and sober reflection.

Tonight, not much happening around these parts. Not a whisper of firecrackers popping, no feasts laid out, no champagne to guzzle. If there was a place to consider the past year, and lay plans for the future, this is it. Zero distractions. Instead, I think I shall make some strawberries with mint and vanilla and watch some Monty Python. Silliness is good for the soul.

The girl in my life

2009-12-30T01:02:00.000+08:00

Gabi is not too far from my mind, but she is at my parent's home. Ebi, no longer the puppy, is also there, domiciled and giving my mom some needed pet love. I wasn't expecting to take on another pet while in China, but the opportunity arose, and I have a new feline in my life, a kitten, calico, and I've named her Loopi. She is probably the first kitten I've raised in over 20 years, so her playfulness, her acquiescence to my moments of overwhelming need to cuddle her, her demanding mews, her high spirited antics, her never ending motor of a purr, her dog like devotion which includes sitting between my feet when I'm on the throne (er, does she not understand the need for privacy in those moments? How would she feel if I bothered her while she was eliminating?), and her tiny warmth on these cold nights, how wonderful it is, how exasperating, how sweet and loving (or is that just me, anthropomorphic as ever?).
She is fearless, lets me rub any part of her body, rarely attempts to squirm away, and enjoys giving me love nips. I feel bad leaving her all alone so much of the time, but she hasn't started acting neurotic. On Christmas, I had four guests over for a long brunch and she ended up playing with everyone. A kitten definitely makes for easy conversation starters.
May she live long, purring her way through a good life.

Tableas, Nutella and sticky rice = champorado in China

2009-12-16T21:50:00.000+08:00

Christmas is a week and a half away, it won't be much of a celebration over on this side of the Pacific, but we're going to make the students do a song and a dance and a play at some celebration outside of school, and then I'm going to go home to cook up some champorado for the other Filipino teacher, perhaps invite the other teachers to come along too. I did a bit of online research to make sure I got a decent recipe, and have improvised with the materials I found in several local stores. The amazing find was tableas, straight from the grinding stones of La Resurreccion in Binondo! I've made several cups of tsokolate eh (or ah), and am ready to make some chocolate goodness for a few guests. The one addition I've made is putting a dollop of nutella into each bowl before ladling some of the chocolate rice pudding in, since I've found that makes for an extra layer of chocolate-ness.

Champorado with Nutella:

1/2 cup of sticky rice
1/2 cup of short grain rice
whole milk (3 cups)
5 to 6 tableas, preferably grated or chopped into small pieces as they dissolved faster
sugar and evaporated milk to taste
Nutella

Add the rice, the milk and the grated tablea chocolates in a pot over medium-low heat. Stir constantly. It takes about 20 minutes to get the rice tender. Put one tablespoon of Nutella in a cup or bowl, ladle the rice pudding into the bowl and serve with evapoated milk. Add sugar if needed.

Along with the champorado, I plan to serve some fresh strawberries (they're in season now), bread, cheeses, and a selection of jams. A student gave several of us a lot of good tea, but my only resort for coffee might be the instant stuff. Or I'll just make them drink tsokolate eh. A double dose of chocolate never killed anyone I think!

A day off

2009-11-24T23:01:00.000+08:00

Autumn chill, layering and head gear, it's November.
A student who also teaches me piano invited me up to her place to have chinese dumplings with her family. I watched her mother fill the wrappers ("pi") with the pork and cabbage stuffing, and she tried to give me tips, but all the ones I attempted to fold were hideous. I did much better rolling out the pi after a few tries with the rolling pin; her mother was quite proud of me. We ended up eating and talking for four hours, which was mirrored by a two hour dinner with two other students. This has definitely been a belly busting day.
My student/piano teacher also introduced me to my first Chinese foodie, one of her students who has a keen hand at stove (and can sing Mozart arias!) and a keener interest in finding good eats all over town. I'm so going with him one of these days on a food trip around the city.
It's always a good sign when a fellow foodie suggests living next door to one another so he can cook a meal for you, in return for english lessons. If he finds me an apartment with a large enough kitchen, then I don't mind a wit.

Transition phase

2009-10-14T18:39:00.000+08:00

Six days in Wenzhou, two weeks in Quanzhou, two weeks in Fuzhou, and perhaps eventually settling down in Quanzhou if the big boss can make a decision for good. Teachers are shuttling around, some have left, new ones are entering into probationary periods, and I, as the understanding, flexible one, am being asked to hop around the different centers till they can figure out which center needs me more. Which means I also have to make decisions about what to bring, so I don't end up short on underpants.

If there's anything I over pack, it's the undies. Bras, panties, have to have enough. More than enough, I found out I brought pretty much every six pack of Hanes I had bought from Landmark or SM in the last year. About 6 packs of them, which meant, I wouldn't run out of clean whites for over a month. But it's remarkably bulky, undies. As I go through the large bag of undies I had in storage while I was away for two weeks, I realize I've got to cull. Undies are stubbornly unwilling to be tossed though. It's hard enough to find a t-shirt here that looks normal enough to wear, not to mention the right fit, what more cotton whites? What will I do if I can't find them? I pack all the undies away again and cast a glance at some of the clothes that I don't wear often enough.

My wardrobe is as boring as heck these days, and I'd love to toss the whole caboodle into a recycling bin, if not for the fact that they are still serviceable (hideous word) and there's no reason not to wear the blasted things. I give thanks for fall and winter as it lets me pull out my scarves which will add a bit more pizazz. I might give in and start buying some pieces of jewelry to stave off my lack of adornment. Or one of those cute knitted bonnets with crocheted gewgews on them when the silly mood strikes.

I'm looking forward to the changes, but they don't come without some sacrifice. Lack of a proper kitchen for at least 5 weeks, dragging my suitcase all over the place, and the cost of finding new digs after all this hullabaloo is over. Just discovered that hullabaloo only has three l's. Good to know.

2009-10-03T18:37:00.002+08:00

First one I remember seeing on this topic was Alone in the Kitchen with an Eggplant; this year another book on the same theme, What We Eat When We Eat Alone, pursued the idea of what sole diners munch on, and now famed editor Judith Jones has released a book The Pleasures of Cooking for One. The idea of eating solo is nothing new, but for three books in a matter of two years to focus on it, seems to highlight the fact that there are more lone diners out there.
Over the last few weeks, I've encountered more people, men in particular, who pointedly spoke out against eating alone. "I hate eating alone." They're grown men, so perhaps they just feel that dining alone is a social anomaly. One of them seeks company out for lunch no matter who he can corral. Let's just say I've avoided the opportunity to watch him masticate.
I've eaten alone too often in my life, and I don't mind the quiet. I also like to read when eating, sometimes not a good idea if it contradicts the eating and focusing on what I eat. But I prefer the company of a good book over a noisy companion. And many of the meals I've posted in this forum are just that, meals eaten solo. I don't need anymore books to tell me that they are pleasurable in themselves.

In hindsight

2009-10-01T19:05:00.002+08:00

"How could you stay so calm?" he asked me. To be honest, I replied to him, thinking back to the events of Saturday and Sunday, I really can't say why I wasn't freaking out. Probably because there was little I could do, so in the face of a lot of craziness, you either let things roll or fight it so much you lose track of what's important.

Most people have their share of stories about facing difficult moments. The last weekend will definitely generate enough to fill volumes. Mine tends to be dependent on whether I'm alone or if I have to take care of people, and Saturday and Sunday was about the latter. The first case came when I was asked by two travellers to help them get to their hotel or as close to it as possible. I was willing to do as much as I could, but I also knew it could be a difficult situation for everyone. I didn't really know the extent of Ondoy's fury and the floods that were killing so many people. All I knew was that roads were blocked, traffic was hellish, and that I was lucky to have use of a vehicle. My temporary guests were kind enough to chip in for gas and I made sure everyone was fed and watered. We didn't get them to the hotel, but they got through with some fortitude, a willingness to brave EDSA on foot (once we got to the corner of EDSA and Macapagal, all was at a standstill), and the MRT (thank goodness for the light rail!). I was not so lucky, as my driver, my dad's secretary and I were in for a long night. We got dinner first, then attempted the roads leading into the heart of Manila. All routes were blocked by the high water. We chose to take shelter at a Petron gas station, which wasn't perfect, but it had lights and a bathroom. Having to wade in a foot of water deterred me from needing the bathroom, and thankfully I hadn't gulped down gallons of water. Sleeping in the car wasn't ideal, but the winds made it cool, and the location was safe. I did a few rows of my knitting project for good measure. But most of the time I was dozing, watching the shadows and light, and thinking how my two companions wished they didn't have to be where they were.

By early morning, the water had subsided a bit, we tried a few routes again, but traffic was still too much. Having been in the same clothes for 24 hours, I needed at least a shower, and we searched for a hotel that would have any occupancy, resorting to going in Victoria Court. At the back of my mind, I knew my dad would have a conniption fit if he knew we were there, but it was a far better choice than staying out on the streets. A few hours of sleep, hot water, clean toilets, and food, and we finally made it home around 4 pm. All of us had been on the road since 11 the day before, so it was a welcome relief to not be in a plane or a car.

Under different circumstances, I'd probably have been less stoic, but living in a country so full of natural disasters has its advantages. You learn to live with the punches, and you face the downturns with more grace. Sometimes you give up too fast, and expect less than you deserve. I sometimes know that I shouldn't be too fatalistic, but I think I'm getting to a point in life that it makes little sense to keep beating my head against a wall. So, perhaps my sense of calm starts from having given up control over everything. I'm still learning when to fight, and I still misjudge matters, but I'm still alive, I've still got a chance to be better, and I'm not going to get hysterical about it.

Battered

2009-09-30T22:54:00.002+08:00

Ondoy has left us to spew further damage on the Indochinese peninsula, but a new set of storms are in our waters. The first one, int'l codename Parma (I can't help but think of it as a large leg of ham), is blowing in at 150 kph. It may lose strength and head out into oblivion, but there's also the possibility that it will howl straight at us, and then veer back on itself. The remaining days of my vacation may all be about staying dry.

Went to Manila Ocean Park today with a friend, the aquariums are much nicer now, less fake corals, and the sharks look so sleek, like siamese cats in color, not to mention that sharklike grace. However, I wouldn't recommend the mermaid show at all. Beyond tacky. I think I'll try to go catch the jellyfish show before I head north.

Curry

2009-09-20T18:48:00.000+08:00

I have five days left before I leave for my long journey home (given the bus trip down to Xiamen and the two hour plane ride home, it feels like I'm travelling as far as Hawaii for such a short distance), my main objective this week is to store my things with my friend M, and dispose, use up everything else, particularly anything edible. I've kept grocery shopping to a minimum over the last three weeks, and haven't cooked a great deal. I have two packs of dumplings to eat for lunch and dinner tomorrow, but I have been keen on making japanese curry for some time. I have a packet of the curry paste, and an apple, so I trotted down to the supermarket to get some vegies, chopped them up (one onion, a head of garlic, two medium potatoes, two carrots) and began the layering in the pot. First rough chopped onions fry up in oil, letting it caramelize for added smokiness, toss in the garlic, and a splosh of fish sauce since I am out of salt. While those flavors start creating a heady aroma along with a bit too much pepper, I rough chop the potatoes and carrots, and don't forget the apple. They go in, one by one, letting the potatoes soak up the flavors first, then the carrots, finally the apple chips. Crumble the curry paste into the pot, and let it envelope the vegetables before adding broth (I used vegetable broth), about 3 cups of it to make the sauce thick enough once it cooks on low heat for at least thirty minutes. One of the other things I had leftover in the kitchen was some corned beef that I had cooked two days ago and not wanting to waste it, I've put it into the curry for some meaty tastes.
The plate lying next to me reminds me of some japanese ramen place in HK that serves a mound of rice, some meat (usually tonkatsu but I must make do with the dried corned beef flakes), and the curry sinking into the rice. Comfort food, Sunday night, it's a perfect pairing.

Passing

2009-09-19T10:32:00.000+08:00

I made my weekly call home and was sad to hear that my mom's longtime feline companion has died. I met Mika when she was given to my mom by a Japanese client of hers. She was 2 or 3 years old at the time, and that was in the early 90's. She continued to terrorize any other animal throughout her reign as queen cat, making it seemingly impossible to bring in another animal. Through events outside her control, I eased the dog and my own cat into her domain last year and early this year respectively. Needless to say she probably didn't think too highly of me at the end of her life.
She died quietly, my mom found her by the bed, in perpetual sleep. RIP.

Acoustic evening

2009-09-17T23:14:00.000+08:00

Crash! Boom! Drip! There's a concert outside my window, no musical instruments, none of the traditional kind anyhow. It's Mother Nature, water cascading down from the clouds, at times intense, climactic, currently, softer, tender, with irregular beats. The aria sung by the thunder, this is no clapping, sharp staccato. This is rolling, moaning then intense. Reverberates through my shelter's walls, long beats, bass sounds. Boooooom.

First love

2009-09-16T22:25:00.000+08:00

The car - a white Porsche (methinks a Carrera), parked in front of a gate. The boy - about 4, walking behind his dad. He sees the car, walks close to it and peers through the dark windows, perhaps hoping to see the interior detailing. He continues to walk towards his dad, but his head is swivelled towards the car, gazing it at its curves, lines, low to the ground body. He's transfixed. "Hey!" his dad shouts at him. He has nearly walked right into the street, in front of traffic. He's smitten.

Tater tots

2009-09-16T00:09:00.000+08:00

Around the corner from the school lies a street without much too brag about, as ordinary a street in this city as any other. However, it does have a good assortment of streetfood carts, and being less than 5 minutes away, a good place for a local snack. WZhou isn't a big streetfood place, not much of what I'd call an indigenous food culture about, so most of the food carts tend to tout either Sichuan style or Fujian style food. I'd had a few bowls of the cold noodles over summer, heavily spiced, and a bowl of their dumpling soup (shui jiao, tang) with tidbits of dried shrimp. One of my favorite choices late in the day is the spicy flatbread, freshly heated in the tandoori-style coal oven. For three renmimbi, a wonderful and slightly oily snack. Today, I think I may have found my other new favorite - a bowl of fried potatoes mixed with onions, coriander, shredded cucumber, and chilli. Oh my, another 3 rmb wonder. Just never get it less than 15 minutes before a meeting or class as it should be savored. It's too fiery to gulp down anyway, spearing each tater, blowing on the tongue searing edges; it would be perfect with an ice cold beer.

Times are changing

2009-09-15T21:59:00.000+08:00

Dark at 6, gusts, a certain nip, yes, autumn is not far. Rain this late afternoon/early evening, cool enough not to need the airconditioner on till later. I know I must prepare for winter, is this why I feel the urge to eat? Am I being bearlike and preparing for hibernation? I can't escape for months till spring, although at times I wish there was such an option.

It's a seller's market

2009-09-13T09:36:00.000+08:00

The landlord of my current apartment is in the process of selling the place, and there are regular visitors everyday to view the apartment. This means in the mornings when I am usually doing little of no value, I end up welcoming the real estate agent and prospective buyers to wander at will around the rooms. However, I prefer not to be around when they show up, as it feels odd to be something of the human dummy showcasing what it looks like to live here.
The real estate market of this city is something to behold. Old and new apartments are priced beyond what one would expect of a second rate city, but that has a little to do with the general assumptions for the national housing market according to what my students have told me. The value of owning an apartment is rather high among newlyweds, absolutely imperative for a new couple to have one before the wedding, and parents cough up their savings to buy their children a home. Financial crisis or not, apartments are a good commodity over here, resale value of this place made me do a double take. I look at it with a critical eye, consider how much the new owner will have to spend to update the facilities, particularly the bathroom, and wonder if they notice all the cracks and concerns I see. That large-ish line running down the first third of the master bedroom, I would definitely want to know how that's going to work out. The flooring needs to be ripped out, redone, hopefully with real wood or tile, not the cheap pseudo-linoleum crap placed there in the first place.
I was also curious to hear that the current landlord had no interest in selling off his furniture. "I don't have space in my current home, so I'm throwing away everything here." I'd suggest he do a garage sale, but remembered that this is China, most people don't seem to go for second hand things. Maybe he figures reselling all of it would be more difficult, not to mention hauling it down the flights of stairs.
As for my next abode, I will wait till after I return in October. Why fork over three months rent and deposit now when I don't know the exact date of my return? I'm viewing neighborhoods on my free days to see what areas I would prefer to live in, and how long it would take to walk to work. Am certain that neighborhoods east and south of the office are out, as the issue of safety is paramount. North and West are familiar, and now that I found out I am a mere stone's throw from the cult status moon bar, I might not want to leave the district.

Bits and pieces of my 9/11

2009-09-11T22:15:00.000+08:00

Morning fight with a colleague. Bitchy me comes out and makes the other person mad. He says "you're not in charge here!" and threatens to quit. Er, what a baby! Plus he should change his cologne, he reeks. The issue I raised (his gf hangs around the teachers room the entire day using the computers and telephone) is unresolved, he has her sitting there again in the afternoon, and the lady in charge is a putz so she can't put her foot down. He makes nice later, saying let's be friends. The other person I butted heads with two months ago left, not sure why though. At least that one was doing his job. This one, ugh, a dom, smelly one too.

Head to the neighborhood Korean resto for bibimpap but get sidetracked by what looks like interesting noodles with seafood. Unfortunately I should have stuck with the bibimpap, the noodles are gloopy with some bean based sauce, the squid is tougher to chew than leather.

New impetus to go to Shanghai in a week, two friends will be attending the edu fair there. How to figure out my schedule though....

Raised my flagging spirits by watching Avenue Montaigne, fluffy French movie, lit in bright colors, about music, love, art, the passage of time, youth. Charming lead actress, chirpy and "a ray of sunshine", with the requisite Roman nosed leading men. One character is supposed to be a classical pianist but he exudes raw peasant energy. Strips down to his shirtsleeves in the climactic concert scene, now that's how they should all look if they want us to attend concerts. Well, maybe not all of them. The only line I will remember "never do anything for nothing" - spoken by Sydney Pollack (who gets mistaken for Martin Scorcese).

Withdrawal symptoms - nothing to read, worse when I'm having a meal and need a book to take me away from my surroundings. Regret not having raided M's library before leaving Xiamen. Two weeks to go before home, so must control myself till then.

testing, testing

2009-09-08T18:58:00.000+08:00

Lay's potato chips in China is available in a lot of flavors. Plain (here called American style), barbecue, roast chicken, and I've come across one that looks like it incorporates chilli peppers and tomato. But the most mindboggling are the fruit flavors. Today at the supermarket, I took a serious look at the offerings. Mango, cucumber, lime, blueberry, cherry tomato, and out now - lychee. I could have stuck to the basic plain which is my go to comfort food of late. But my hand strayed, and thought why not? I don't think I'm ready for blueberry potato chips, but the lime doesn't sound too bad.
The flavor of the product is citrusy, a bit too sweet for me, but not all together horrible. I could see myself making a spicy salsa to go with this.
When I go home, I shall pack a few bags for a shared test taste. Who wants in?

gratitude

2009-09-07T22:08:00.000+08:00

I am thankful:
1. for a roof over my head, even if it meant waiting for over an hour for the landlord to figure out which keys go with which lock. So close to a toilet and a wash, and yet so far.
2. for clean clothes, especially upon finding my stash of clothes that I left in the closet missing, along with the suitcase I had put it in. My shoes were subsequently found in another closet, but my two wrap dresses, my Indonesian batik, my favorite jogging pants, my new sheer white kimono, and my winter coat, gone. Who took it, why, I have my suspicions, I have no proof, but who else I ask myself. In the meantime, I'm thankful for the remaining pieces I do have.
3. for friends, colleagues, and kindness from strangers.
4. for not being in a war zone, or on a ferry in my own country
5. for water. Cold, refreshing. For washing the white dust from my travel bags. For making me feel human again.
6. for distractions; I miss downloading and listening to podcasts, and I finally got to update my itunes list. Thank you for Garrison Keillor, poetry, humor, All Songs Considered, Splendid Table, The Moth....
7. for a phonecall from someone who wants me to join them in Shanghai in a few weeks. Tempting, very tempting.
8. for a good connection, for the internet
9. for the ability to see beyond the mess
10. for finding my nail clipper.

Xiamen food plans

2009-08-30T14:06:00.000+08:00

Spiffiest bathroom in a Xiamen restaurant - The House 2, Coffee St/Yundang Lu, near the Marco Polo hotel. Note: the coffee was horrible (they may be using Illy but it tasted like dark dishwater).

Cutest hole in the wall: Planttime - an alley off Zhong Shan Lu, near the main port to Gulangyu island. After looting the stacks of dvds in the green door store, I walked down the alley and saw this verdant looking front door, found myself in a cafe that served vegetarian food, painted in soft pink, cream, and green. I felt like I was in a Chinese shabby chic cafe. Food was passable, and the service gently respectful. Points for not allowing smoking, and a general sense of ease and comfort throughout the place. A good place to rest between shopping sprees and the heat, if you can find the place.

Points off to McDonalds (not sure if it's all the McD's in Xiamen) which touts itself as 24 hours but was closed when friends went there for a 3:30 am snack. No way would that ever happen in the Pinas. I sort of miss the neverending food delivery opportunities in Manila, not that I had many 2 am munchy moments. It's just the idea that if you want something, it will be delivered!

Avoid in the future: any of the ground beef burritos/enchiladas at Coyote, along Yundang Rd, near the Marco Polo. I don't know why the beef tastes like it was dried and reconstituted but there's nothing palatable about it. I might ask for a vegetarian one if I ever go back. However, the service there is very pleasant, the waiter remembered how I like my bloody mary's even if I'd only been there once before. And I'll definitely splurge 25 RMB for a large plate of nachos before heading into the hinterlands.

Heading into my last week here in Xiamen, I'm cooking for friends on my day off (Wed): adobo (will toss in some roast duck from the market with the chicken), bicol express (lots of chillis!), and maybe pinakbet. Friend E has a jar of bagoong in his ref so I could use it, with the help of Marketman's recipe (it won't be over a woodfire stove, but I'll use a clay pot to toss the vegies in). I toyed with the idea of making a guava sinigang since there's a lot of guava in season now, but that will take too much energy to boil the fruit, squeeze out all the essence and add souring agents. Meh.

Speaking of soups, why are the free soups that come with set meals here so insipid? To the point of being just hot water with some vegies tossed in it, who wants to drink something without any flavor? The little veg cafe Planttime (above) is probably the only place I found that had a flavorful free soup, it tasted rather meaty for a soup that was made with vegies and mushrooms.

Overheard - there's a pinoy resto in town near the Pan Pacific Hotel, strangely named Tuscany. I shall check it out tomorrow night.

Wet and wooly

2009-08-28T12:02:00.000+08:00

There's been a larger than normal amount of western food taking a detour down my gullet of late, and is probably the reason my clothes are feeling like they are a tad tighter than a few weeks ago. While Xiamen is as chinese a city as any other, the more cosmopolitan opportunities make it easier to slip into a cafe for texmex greasy food and a drink, or giving into one baked potato laden with sour cream. Walking is still required, but the heat and humidity push me towards getting taxis more if I'm going out of my way to a cafe. If I were to stick to my walk to work and back without a detour, my wallet would be fatter, and not my belly.
Another blackhole has been purchasing a lot of dvds to keep me "sane" when I don't have anything to do. Bad excuse, it just sucks time away from being "productive" and in terms of liquidity wastes money.
Walking around in the humidity is not just a physical drain, but it makes my head feel waterlogged/sweatlogged. Emotionally I feel less happy in this environment, and not even a dose of caffeine seems to lift the spirits. I suspect it doesn't help that I've been surrounded by a lot of grouchy, menopausal, and strange people. So much disappointment and disdain, a litany of complaints about everything and everyone, are they affected by the heat or is it something about the environment that pushes people to grumble non-stop?
At least the void of animals up north is not the same here. I see people walking their dogs often, everyday, and other than the little gray cat who comes to us everyday after work (and who I wish to find a home), there hasn't been a week where I've not come across other well taken of cats. Yesterday I spotted two rivals, one black with white mittens and an orange tabby, both far from each other but the black one taking a serious yowl at the other when they glanced at one another. The houseware store down from where I'm living has a lovely calico with big round eyes, reminds me of J's cats in HK, and who has suffered my attentions a few times, the closest it lets me come near is a foot away if I have some kibble. Mr. Grey however is the one cat that rarely fails me, he is a sweetheart (if only men were as easy), and I do hope someone with a good heart cares for him permanently. It will be hard not to stuff him in my suitcase in a week's time.

things we have to do for a job

2009-08-24T10:29:00.000+08:00

here's the scenario: late sunday afternoon, three higher level students, with a better grasp of english. lesson topic: stress management; i printed out meditation exercises, one on breathing, one on muscle relaxation. when we got to the muscle relaxation exercise, one of the instructions was "clench your butt, relax. Do three times."
so first of all - chinese have no butts, or very few that are worth mentioning
second, we're talking of a part of the body they try to avoid thinking about
third - they're like teenage boys when it comes to anatomical parts like the butt. You say butt, they laugh nervously
so I try to explain, they titter, and struggle to do the exercise
i try to say they can do this while standing in line, good for the posture, core yada yada
one girl says to me "but it will look strange!"
I tell her and try to show them that (pointing to my ass) "see? can you see if my butt is clenched? Nope!"
i'm standing sideways mind you, and one relatively buff guy is sitting in front, his eyes now forced to look at his english teacher explain that her butt is clenching, relaxing, clenching, relaxing

Saturday eats

2009-08-22T17:44:00.000+08:00

9 am: one peach, a bit too firm, and not too sweet. More for crunch and aroma. It hasn't been a good summer for juicy, eat-over-a-sink peaches.

12:30 pm: a plate of jiaozi (pork and chive dumplings), got the large plate - 20 dumplings, for $1.50. A cold bottle of Sprite, I should bring my own Coke next time. Satisfying, perhaps too much so. Comfort food at its best.

1:00 pm: a large glass of chocolate milk tea. I wasn't sure it would work, and I still prefer regular milk tea, but it wasn't a bad way to cap my midday meal.

Contemplating dinner options, nothing attractive. I may have to wait till after work, maybe get one of the roasted chickens from the street grillers.

Was hit in the nostalgic solar plexus to find that the row of stores and restaurants that used to border the gate of Xiamen University and Nanputuo Temple are gone. Two years of walking up and down that path, buying cds, eating in the little eateries, gone. All the memories no longer have a place. The Uni is probably on an expansion fit again, or beautification roll. I think it leaves the atmosphere a bit lacking. But that's China for you. Neverending change.

Walked around Xiada, students will be flooding in in two weeks, so this is the perfect time to visit campus. Relatively quiet, a bit too hot and humid, but a pleasant walk down tree laden streets, and enjoyed strolling around the park. Walked down to the beach through a hidden path I remembered and it was as pleasant as ever. Nothing much changed down that walk. I would love to go back after a rainstorm, when the paths are wet, and the leaves carpet the way.

the proxy ate my post

2009-08-17T11:16:00.000+08:00

The big C over here isn't just the country, but also the censors, who create barriers we must learn to jump over - good for the butt all that jumping. So to the proxies we go, trying one here, one there. Found one today that I thought would work, but it gave me access without the ability to write anything. I've found another one that might work, and it is through it that I am writing this post, a few weeks into August. Let us see if this will go through.

Milk walk

2009-07-30T07:47:00.003+08:00

There is such a thing as too much of a good thing, perhaps in the dairy department. Last year I overdid ice cream "tastings" in DC, and yesterday I might have matched the intake of all things that can come from a cow. Two containers of full fat Fage yogurt (isn't that a healthy thing???), a double scoop of Mado Turkish ice cream (now that I think of it, that came from a goat), double cream brie on crackers nibbled at the park, and then I had to go have hot chocolate at agnes b (they have some delectable looking desserts but all I wanted was the hot c).

How to offset all that milk? I decided to take a long walk, specifically from Tai Koo to Causeway Bay. I estimate that long course was around 4 km, and following the tram/bus routes, King's road all the way along the northern front of the island, it was a good tramp through some of the least touristy bits of the city. I finally finished my walk at the Central Library, with it's 9 floors of learning a comfortable beacon for my feet. It may also have the best bathrooms that side of the city.

I took to the streets again this morning to have a Cantonese version of diner food. Why go to McDonalds or Starbucks when there's egg fry ups with butter bread accompanied by a large bowl of shredded abalone and ham with macaroni? Add a steaming cup of milky tea, and I'm set to go. I decided to pick up two large buns at the restaurants bread display, a cha siu bao and an egg bun, as part of the provisions for my trip back up into the border. Comfort food aka defense against the elements.

48 hours in Hong Kong

2009-07-29T10:00:00.003+08:00

Another of those long coast trips down to Hong Kong, with time enough to just chill, tramp around old haunts, and munch - Indian, Vietnamese, a good burger, ice cream, cheese, and chocolates. Is it a silly bad habit to go straight to a bookstore (one I had never been to, I felt like I should make a wish, a habit that my mother fostered in us when we'd go to a new church), and buy a book, some magazines, knowing I could have saved money on buying used books, but the smell, oh the smell of a bookstore, the paper, the chemicals, the silly knick-knacks?
My rented room is along a row of pet stores, and the one next door has a number of pure breed cats on show. One of them, a scottish fold, looked up at me, raised its paws, and mewed. Oh, be still my melting knees. If only I could take you home with me, such a cutie.
Before taking refuge in the airconditioned chill of the movie theatre (HP6; why am I damned never to see UP in a theater? It opens the day I go back to China.), I wander the lower bowels of SOGO. I used to live a stone's throw away from SOGO in the late 90's, and I mourn how little I took advantage of it's amazing fruit selections, the fun little cooking items from Japan. Now, I wish I had time, money, and suitcase space enough to take them all home. Isn't that always the case?
I'm heading into Indian food territory later, expecting to reek of spice and garlic. Then a night of street food noshing, soaking in all the neon lights, people watching, window shopping, fantasizing about who would want a plastic raincoat studded with grommets (K, I'm thinking you), and maybe meowing back at the kitty cat before it gets taken to a new home. Or should I plan a cat heist??

24 hours

2009-06-29T14:37:00.002+08:00

I'm no Jack Bauer, wouldn't sacrifice my life for the sitting President, and my real question is, when does he ever go to the toilet. Why don't tv dramas ever show anyone going to the bathroom? Eating, sleeping, they are there, but never the throne.
In the next 24 hours, I will prepare to leave again. Finally. Two week delay nonewithstanding, it's been a vacation, with some productivity thrown in. Three weekends of dog training, completed one knitting project, ate a lot of things I won't get in China, and read, read, read.
Google is out of sorts in China, I even read that people can't access gmail. Returning to the vacuum.

Get off my chest!

2009-06-27T20:48:00.002+08:00

Some things that I just have to write before they take over my subconscious, I don't want any of these things making weird insinuations in my dreams so best to just write them and be done with them, right? Akin to last song syndrome, I better speak now or forever be stuck with them.

In no particular order, or importance:
*Jon and Kate - boo. You have 8 kids who are going to suffer. Put them out of their misery and get real jobs and real lives and get off the tv.
*deaths all around - while I feel for Ed, everyone's focusing on MJ, while FF is off the radar. Pity she and RO'N didn't get hitched, or maybe it's best she didn't.
*the citizens of S. Carolina should impeach their governor, he's a wimp and a hypocrite. Crying in Argentina, double boo. And his wife, seriously? You'd take him back?
*am incensed at the news that the local government has passed a bill to allow greyhound racing in the country, and I do hope by petitioning those dolts, it won't push through. However, the case against the dolphin show in Subic was tossed out, so knowing our lovely government who cares not a whit for animal wellbeing, it will not be easy to sway them not to allow the poor dogs to be run to death, abused, and worse.
*what is it with the increasing number of incorrectly used prepositions all around? I see it in the road signs, tv ads, it's becoming a real annoyance to me anyway. I know most people don't give a rat's ass. Must learn to turn my eyes away.

And what is it about coincidences that lead me to temptation, deliver me from evil damnit! Argh, two sightings that raise thoughts I would like to put aside, one indirect, but one so near I could have touched it. Shivers me timbers, I'm glad I had things to do and didn't give into my first instinct. I may hear the devil on my shoulder but I don't give in, maybe that's why I keep gaining weight though....

2009-06-27T19:02:00.003+08:00

Have read with trepidation that Google is under attack by the mainland government, the latter complaining about all the sexual references online, but I will assume it's to "clean up" house before the 60th birthday of the government. I will also have to assume that once I'm there again, whenever that happens, I will not have access to my blog, I begin to wonder if I shouldn't have a backup blog, somewhere else online that I can access that won't be blockaded by government censors. Of course a written, paper-pencil journal will do, and I have many a notebook filled with my illegible jottings. There's always Facebook of course.
I feel a bit like those seafarers between sojourns on board their rickety ships; doing the rounds of all the food places I won't be seeing for awhile, reading as much as I can, tramping up and down favorite spots, playing with the pets, writing, reviewing what I should add to my very bored list of clothing, adding to my dvd collection. There is also a sense of what to path to take next, should this episode not take fruit. What will I end up exploring? Dog training? A job with commercial, ie financial, opportunities? Beach tramp? The possibilities seem endless, if one knows where to look.

Friday rapture

2009-06-26T13:46:00.003+08:00

On a blazing hot Friday, I run through the city taking care of errands, paying bills that are long overdue, bringing the dog to the vet for a check-up, having shoes fixed, going down the list of things to bring before I leave, calling the travel agent one more time to check if it's all ok this time. Sigh. I head to one of my regular cafes for a lunch fix and am slightly disappointed with what I have to eat, but the disappointment doesn't sit long, as I'm engrossed, absolutely engrossed in what I'm reading. East of Eden, Steinbeck, he is a god! My goodness, this is amazing stuff, am truly enthralled with his realism, the quirky moments of side stories cutting through the rich batter of his main story, that of the Trasks and Hamiltons. I don't want to rush it, but I think I'll be raring to finish the several hundred pages I have to finish soon. She's just shot him in the shoulder, leaving him and his twins to suffer!

I stand from my lunch table and head in an aimless direction, attracted by the prints in the window; a salesman calls out to come into his store, but I veer into the bakery instead, Jipan, known for it's murphy bread (or is it muffin bread??), a buttery flaky brioche, good for french toast. I cursorily scan the stacks, see some samples on a lower shelf (someone needs to tell the owner how to make her display more appealing), sample something a bit dry and am about to move on when a small sign catches my attention. "Kouin aman", could it be? I see a small sample available to taste, I bite, it's sticky, crunchy, buttery. Oh my. Yes it is. David Lebovitz wrote out a recipe for Kouign Amann in 2005, and here it is in front of me, a few pieces hidden among a large tray of other bready morsels. I buy two of them, along with some large pain de chocolat and what looks like a cinnamon loaf with almonds. I'm carbo loading tonight!

Keeping my eyes peeled

2009-06-24T18:43:00.003+08:00

Sign number one: 8th Philippine-Spanish Friendship Day shares the banner space with the 110th anniversar of the Siege of Baler. I learned about what took place in Baler due to the movie that was released in one of the recent local film festivals. Spanish soldiers were under siege by Filipino troops during the war for independence, the Filipinos starved the Spanish out in the church located in the town of Baler (Pampanga?), and their final surrender after months stuck inside the church highlighted the final straw of Spanish control of our first set of colonizers. I find it interesting that they'd use the siege as a counterpoint to the friendship day between the two nations. Is it a bit of a poke in our previous rulers ribs? Or simply the lack of political tact?

Sign number two: SM San Juan (I didn't know SM had a mall in San Juan!) is on sale over a few days this month, but the sign I saw on Ramon Magsaysay Blvd doesn't highlight the mall sale, it states "SALE City of San Juan Selected items..." - if I wasn't paying close attention I would not have seen the logo of SM. Is the city of San Juan not doing that well then? Or have the Estradas decided it's better to have Henry Sy's consortium raise funds for the city?

Dusting off

2009-06-21T13:18:00.003+08:00

Father's Day, 2009. When did we become so overwrought over fake holidays? Is it Valentine's Day's fault that we now kowtow to specific days? Or is Hallmark to blame?
In any case, we're off to a FD dinner, which is also an excuse to see how tall the kids have grown, eat too much, and be grumpy later because the favorite tv show was missed (that'll be my mother).
Before I return to the mothership up north, I am revelling in the books I have left from my booksale in February and March. I still have a good number of books left, although I culled the ones I sold carefully, and also portioned some for the consignment store. My mother found an unused bookshelf to stock the books I left behind, with a smaller number stuffed into an old cabinet. I spend a good couple of hours each day, pulling one book or another out, reading a few chapters, feeling a sense of urgency since I know I won't be surrounded by my babies in a few days.
Another baby I abandoned (yes, she is feeling abandoned I tell you!) is my feline companion, who noticeably ignored me when I first got home, but finally deigned to stay with me yesterday, while I puttered about the house. She and the other cat (who is getting very old, but is quite feisty, doesn't enjoy having to share her turf) hiss and snarl when they get within 3 feet of each other, so there's a sense of detente when we know one is approaching the other. Nothing untoward ever happens, they simply express the antipathy of seeing one another, and then one stalks away, ever so upset of the encroachment. I slowly guide my cat into my shared space, and try to keep her occupied for a few hours, including making sure she's not flea bitten. Granted, she's not the most amiable creature, but I do miss her pumpkin/raccoon like features when I'm doing nada in my Chinese abode. Not her hair all over the place, but definitely her presence and her zen like state even in the most distressful times.
The puppy, who isn't so much a puppy as a young female dog, ie bitch, is going back for her uncasting tomorrow, the removal of her cast, the removal of her collar, and hopefully a really good bath. We can't get her cast wet, so we're stuck wiping her down, combing, but the eau de pooch is getting worse. I want to make sure she is in less odorous state before I go. Plus I must decide, snip or not to snip? She had her first mens a couple of months back, and she's likely to go a bit delirious with hormonal changes, not that she has the companionship of any male doggies; if she were to get pregnant, it would likely make my mother fall down to her knees in belief of immaculate conception. And she's not likely to tell me about it either, just like the dog's accident.
Stopped by Legaspi Market this morning, wandered through the stalls to find things to try before I go back. Now that I think about it, the week I left for China in March was punctuated by a trip the Legaspi market as well. Hmmm. Anyway, had chorizo paella, bought some chicken pate from Pamora, and decided to buy some avocados to make guac at home. Why I can't find avocados in China I don't know. Not native perhaps, and maybe the flavor just doesn't rock Chinese people's worlds. Not something I've ever seen in Chinese cuisine for sure, not even avocado shakes. Anyway, some lemon, cilantro, and jalapenos for good measure and I'll be double dipping myself tomorrow when it's all made.
I also bought two sheer embroidered kimonos, a steal for P800; I remember seeing something similar, but far more detailed and lush at a department store, not to mention leaps and bounds more expensive. I figure these loose tops will be a good way to punch up a pair of jeans. Good thing about kimonos: loose sleeves, a nice summery pick me up. A detour to the Aroomatherapy table for a ginger mist spritz and I think I'm ready to head back.

Comfort food

2009-06-17T13:57:00.003+08:00

I had what may have been the best chocolate mousse of my life yesterday at La Cabane. Lunch with K and J and A, watching the rains wash the streets clean, cosily ensconced by the window in plushy seats. K was not in tip-top dessert mood, and when faced with choices, we only got two - the mousse and the tarte tatin. I decided on the former by sheer chance of seeing it being served at another table. Over the years I've unfortunately tasted some pallid c/m's, usually lacking in any chocolate flavor, perhaps made with powdered chocolate, and kept firm with gelatin. Blech. La Cabane's c/m was a dark color, and when spooned, you could see the bounce of the eggwhite froth. The flavor was a rush of chocolate, with a hint of brandy or maybe cointreau; it didn't hit you in the face, it was subtle, a slinky taste on the palate. I could imagine eating cup of rich mousse when I've accomplished a good deed for myself, a sweet pat on the back.

That feeling of accomplishment is in short supply these days. My knitting project feels stalled, as the person helping me complete the project is out of town and I don't know how to wrap it up. And just when I thought I'd be done with the to-ing and fro-ing for my visa, there's another hiccup. I steel myself for more hiccups. But I may need a way to vent my frustration very soon. The last thing I need is an ulcer.

What I did discover through reading my last medical checkup details is that I have a fatty liver. My last blood pressure reading shows that I've recovered some ground from the higher than normal rate I noticed earlier this year, my diastolic is down to 80. But I will have to drink more tea, bitter foods like ampalaya, and reduce all the good tasty things in life while I coddle my liver back to health. Well, I can do that in China.

In the meantime, a slice of chocolate cake before I return to where there is no place for cake, or where they put full tomatoes on their cakes. And I may mash up some avocadoes for some guacamole goodness. Topped with bacon!

Jetlag

2009-06-14T19:38:00.002+08:00

Staying up till 2 am with friends, bellybuster of a dinner, sleeping the day away (utter lack of anything to do), followed by munching on all the chocolate lace cookies, listening to podcasts on backlog, sleeping in the afternoon, watching a really boring BBC production of Mansfield Park, sleeping at 3 am, waking up at 10 realizing I'm running late for dog training, taking the dreaded step to get all my facial bumps removed, will I sleep early tonight or just attempt to wake up at 6 am tomorrow so I can go to the gym early in the morning, weighed in and found 2 lbs regained erp, not caring enough to skip pork bbq with garlic rice, guilty thoughts over buying a new pair of sandals that I'll have to lug back to China or it'll molder, stressed out over when the darn visa will be released, annoyed at the other visa that I'm going to cut up asap, what will my fb username be - ah go the whole hog, who cares anyway, more walking, less eating, well maybe a few times this week, catch up with friends, spent more on the face products than the procedure, search for cheapflight. More water, less caffeine.

All Sunday, all dog

2009-06-10T19:18:00.002+08:00

Last Sunday, I joined my dog training group for a small reunion of sorts. The first batch of trainers were nearly all there, minus L and K, and joined the second batch of trainers to work with some of the new dogs, and for a special case - our very first behavioral analysis of one dog (with owners in attendance). JI plans to get us to build skills towards helping analyze what makes problem dogs tick and it was a great training day for those of us; I wish I could stay on and do more weeks with this side of the program. JI will also be setting up a training academy soon, I'd join it in a heartbeat if I wasn't out of the country.

We also had a mishap with one of the puppies, 9 weeks old, and very bright. I was holding the puppy, and it decided that it was a cat, and leaped out of my arms 4 feet down onto a hard tiled floor. It landed hard, and took a painful spill. We worried it was a dislocated shoulder, but after the vet took the x-ray, we learned it was a sprained muscle. Such relief. With my own dog all bound up and in a cast, I don't think I can take more animal mishaps.

Unfortunately, we witnessed the sorrow of another family whose 10 year old pet had to be put down; a failing kidney and deteriorating health forced them to the painful decision. Owner, yaya, all were keening with sorrow.

We ended the long day at E's home, eating ice cream and talking about the future, observing her own dogs and the new puppy she's training, who was confident and full of puppy joy. Before we left, she showed us just how confident she was, falling into the carp pond, but swimming ably to the side to get herself out of her own predicament if not for E coming to her rescue. I think the humans were far more concerned than the dog! E's black lab decided that a soggy puppy was the perfect patient for his ministering tongue, that dog is a bit OC when it comes to cleaning!

There be stories

2009-06-09T18:18:00.002+08:00

In the few days of being home, taking care of some of life's necessities, seeing friends, sharing stories, catching up with life, I have come to a few conclusions:

1. Life in China is a lot better now than it was 15 years ago. When I try to share what little I've learned about my life over the last two months have been like, some of the interesting social/anthropological issues I've encountered, I realize that I must preface it with comparing it to what I experienced when I was studying chinese over a decade ago in Xiamen. The then and now are stark. Where there were no roads, barely any infrastructure, few choices, and a lot less freedom to speak to locals, there are now large freeways, tall buildings sprouting like mushrooms, opportunity to satiate oneself with Asian and Western goods, and open social intercourse. I remember one German friend sharing her paranoia living in an industrial city fifteen years ago in the Western part of China, feeling shadowed every day, finding her things rifled. These days, the government has better things to do, and they prefer harassing foreigners by charging us fees because we are outsiders. Otherwise, it's just business, walang personalahan.

2. Fifteen years have brought changes to the cities, and to the people. They're still very conservative, mind you, and so many traditional ways have returned (or perhaps, like viruses, they were merely latent), but they are less likely to wear drab clothes - instead they've taken to shiny things like Gollum. The brighter, the fluffier, the tackier, the better! They'd paste the sequins on their forehead if they could. And for every brillo pad hairdo, there are tons more women who enjoy letting their tresses shine and glow with natural luster. We used to oggle the complicated superstructures some salesladies would twist their ringlets into, but I haven't seen any of those in a long time. The worst I've encountered so far this year was an older woman who had her bouffant teased, lacquered, and dyed; it looked like a dark blonde caramel candy bird's nest, which did nothing for the rest of her round body shape.

3. I have regular jaw dropping conversations, usually in class. It teaches me so much, and I do appreciate the honesty of those discussions. I won't exploit what the students tell me, it's not for titillation and gossip. They share because they are learning English and they answer my questions because I'm their teacher. They definitely enrich my world view, and understanding of how people think.

4. The China diet, for me, is a success. I weighed in at the gym yesterday, discovered I lost 10 lbs in 10 weeks, and that's including all the bags of potato chips (no, not the weird tasting ones) during feeling-sorry-for-myself moments. I should write a silly diet book: "Eat Potato Chips and Still Lose 10 lbs! Hahahaha! Seriously though, the biggest thrill has been the ability to wear a pair of brown pants that I thought I'd have to sell at the garage sale, I can button it up and there's a couple of inches allowance around the waist too. Yahoo! Chinese food may be one of the greatest culinary choices in the world, but the monotony of eating the same thing day in and day out will chisel away at your appetite.

Access is mine!!

2009-06-06T16:06:00.002+08:00

It's been a few weeks since blogger.com sites have been out of the loop in my corner of the world, it is assumed it was the lead in to the 20th anniversary of Tiananmen, and there's hope (of which I am full of no matter what) that when I go back I won't have to look frustrated at my pile of notes, unable to write and get stuff off my chest, for this is ultimately what my blog is, therapy! Heehee

I'm in Manila for a week or two, in what is called Step 3 of my work visa process. I was only informed it was called step 3 yesterday, in between getting off the night bus from Wenzhou to Xiamen, and waiting (to no avail) for documents I was told were on their way from another city. The documents will now be couriered to me in Manila, as I couldn't get the extension I was promised earlier. China's like that, raises your hopes, dashes them, then leads you on towards more hopes and dreams. Sounds like some people I know.

While I'm home, I have a list of things to do: pay bills, haircut, see friends, eat bacon, eat cheese! And Manila laid quite the welcome home last night, Roxas Boulevard was practically a parking lot, the rains pounded the car roofs, the wind ruffled more than a few feathers. I found out that a tree came crashing down on a few cars in my parents family compound, I saw the debris this morning. And my dog, my poor puppy, has had her front right leg in a cast for a few weeks, after an accident, good thing I didn't know about that while I was in China. Suddenly I wished to be back in the ignorance of my Wenzhou existence.

Savings Fail

2009-05-12T20:43:00.002+08:00

Coming to China might be considered a big leap, a considerable sacrifice, and perhaps foolhardy to many. I decided to take this adventure since how often will this opportunity come again? I know there are enough reasons not to do something risky, but it's not in the same league as jumping out a plane without checking if the parachute works.

It is however a financial leap, and one that carries a large risk. If I end up not saving anything at all, there goes the last of my savings and I would prefer not to wonder how to recoup everything in my forties. I live considerably leaner and tighter than I did in Manila, and perhaps the choice of city is a good one; this place has little to offer in terms of cultural curiousity.

Each week, I set out a day I call "No spending day," usually a day I spend at home, doing chores, reading, writing, knitting, meditating, listening to music, doodling, daydreaming. Today was meant to be one of those days, but, I failed today's goal. After going through my list of to do's and having fulfilled them to the best of my ability, I figured I should go to the supermarket to get two things I did need. I ate some edamame so I wouldn't be tempted to buy food, and had written down the two things I planned to buy. I ended up lugging home two bags of things, and noting down some interesting items I sure would like to get the next time I have to go to the supermarket (not the next NSD!).

For example, I mentioned to friend J that I saw a whole roasted rabbit in the pre-cooked section of the supermarket (it sat near the whole roasted ducks, and other roasted meats). At 20 yuan per 500 grams, I think that might be quite a gourmet steal for the next group dinner. I believe the rabbit has been roasted in a soy-based marinade, but will have to update this information after I get to taste it. The rabbit looks quite lean, but meaty, this is no tiny bunny.

The other item that caught my eye were little pots of caviar for 60 yuan each. Granted this isn't beluga we're talking about, merely lumpfish or wild alaskan salmon fish roe, but it is a nice little luxury I feel will go well the next time I make poached eggs.

The damage I ran up for the day was pretty much what I planned to spend the entire week. Since most of the items I purchased were food products, there's no reason why I can't just do packed lunches every day. At least till the next NSD.

Back to the wok

2009-05-12T16:46:00.003+08:00

Grazing online I saw that Wandering Chopsticks has a weekend wok round up going on, while on EatingAsia, Robyn and Dave shared their recipe for a sausage and cucumber salad that sounds quite delicious. I might make that salad later in the week, all the ingredients are easy to find in my neighborhood markets.
But what caught my attention was the notion of the wok. I grew up with woks around the house, but I knew them as more like your regular frying pans without knowing they had a special name; my mother may have just called them calderos. We had several of varying sizes, most of them were iron or steel, quite heavy and I learned how to make fried rice, eggs, and fried chicken on them when I was a kid. We always used gas burners, the maids only seemed to know one level of heat, and that was high. Took my mother time to get them to understand they could adjust the level of heat, especially if it was a new maid.
Over the years, in different homes in my life, I have had to cook with a variety of heat sources, and in some dorms, we were forced to cook on little electric burners, or built in cookers that didn't cause the fuse to conk out. I can't recall what I was using to cook on in HK, but I shall assume it was an electric burner. And in my last residence in Manila, I made do with an induction burner.
My apartment here in WZ has a small kitchen, just enough for one person to turn around, counterspace is at a premium. But it has two burners, and yes, it is gas. For the first few weeks, I made do with a pot I found in the closet, but I recently bought a rice cooker and a wok. I didn't make a conscious decision to get a wok, I just figured I needed something multi-functional and would work with the style of food I plan to make while I'm here. Again, eat local, eat the style of food available.
In the week I've had my wok, I've used it to make eggs, fried rice, and a quick saute of chillies. Vegetables, some soup, maybe steam up some dimsum one day, all for the future.

Friday follow-up

2009-05-08T22:32:00.002+08:00

One chicken gone from the cage (I glared at the three tables full of customers in the restaurant, wondering which one decided the fate of the hapless bird).

Cherries now at 58 renmimbi, about P410 a kilo. Do I wait three more days or give into my urges now? On the other hand, I could buy a kilo of luscious looking bayberries coming into season as I speak for 40 rmb.... And I know they'd be worth every penny!

Tuesday

2009-05-05T19:14:00.003+08:00

It's been a quiet couple of days, spring has been particularly pleasant here, and minus a few days of rain, the days are sunny, but cool. This afternoon, I felt a chill entering my bones, threw on a few more layers, and on my walk to a meeting, felt the weak sunshine on my skin. I passed the daily parade of roosters in a cage outside a restaurant; a few weeks ago, they had a rather noisy duck out there too, but he's probably been eaten by now. Three chickens, robust looking beasts, watch the world go by, not knowing they are waiting out their fate.

A couple of corners down the road, I spy an unfamiliar sight. A grey dappled pony, led by his owner. Four or five trike drivers were likewise parked on the sidewalk, making comments about the horse. I don't think the horse was for eating, he looked like he was being brought to show some of the kids in the playschool nearby. He made some indignant noises when he was left by the tree.

Seeing the horse made me think of chinese words, the word for horse "ma" (third tone) is typically used by chinese language teachers when explaining the four tones. Ma (first tone) could refer to Mother; ma (second tone) may refer to the character used for hemp or numbness; ma (third) for horse; and the final tone of ma is normally only used in cursing or ending a interrogative question. We would practice the tones by saying ma four times, differentiating each tone, hopefully clearly, otherwise you're sort of just saying "Your mother's horse, or your mother is a horse."

Another sight on the road today, the local firemen were in training, I suspect they were being tested on speed. How quickly can they connect the hoses to the firetruck, or perhaps how quickly they could unroll the hose... Unlike Western firemen, however, there's nary a hunk among them. Deep sigh.

Tasted a new fruit, what looked to be a large cherry like fruit in a range of colors from green to orange. They're tart, and texture leans towards apricot/plum, with a pit. I'm not overjoyed by them, even though they are juicy enough. Perhaps they'd go well dipped in salt. The fruit store was also selling bing cherries, I nearly went for them until I saw they were 70 renminmbi per kilo (approximately P500 a kilo). I think I'll wait till the end of May, perhaps the cost will drop a bit more. I bought two kiwis instead.

Am fighting off the urge to go to the nearby supermarket and buy a bag of chips. I'm hoping that I can wait it out till 9 so the store will be closed and I won't want to traipse down four flights of stairs in the dark, with only my small flashlight to guide me.

Watched The Reader on dvd yesterday, and found the young actor playing Michael Berg (David Kross) very appealing and sexy. Yeegads, my cougar instincts!

In other news: Long overdue payment for Filipino veterans is included in the US Department of Defense budget. Took the US government 64 years to make a long drawn out situation right.

So ends May 5, 2009.

Smelly moo juice

2009-04-30T09:53:00.002+08:00

Last year's melamine milk scandal spotlighted the problem of tainted milk in this part of the world. But what I thought was interesting was the number of people feeding their children milk. Cow's milk to be exact. When I was living here 15 odd years ago, the only milk we could find was soy milk and UHT pasteurized milk (is that redundant? I am too lazy to find out right now.). The latter didn't taste right to the Westerners, although I could care less, so long as it was white and didn't taste beany, as soy milk did. And it wasn't sweetened and watery.

These days, there are "milk bars" with a cowhide (black and white) facade, just to make sure people understand that this ain't no soy milk bar, we are all about the cow, people! One of the other teachers says their milk isn't bad, and gave us a taste a few weeks ago. I was and am still a bit leary about drinking milk here, but I have to weigh the chances of dying of some horrible kidney problem or having brittle bones from the lack of calcium. Hmmm.

After leaving my rented rooms a bit later than normal this morning, I signed in, and decided to go find myself some breakfast. I walked a few blocks, and saw the milk bar, busy with customers. Ok, some milk is calling my name (Mila, moooooo, drink me moooo). I grabbed a bottle, not really reading the bottle, plunked down cash and went back to the office. I unsealed the cap and poured myself a cup. Hmmmm, sniff, sniff, what is that smell? Why does this milk smell like sulphur? I was about to pour it down the drain when I looked at the label and saw this "Egg Milk".... I see. I would have thought eggmilk would be a bit richer, creamier, more eggnoggy. But maybe they just figure people will smell the egginess and think, right, I'm drinking an egg in my milk. Taking a sip, it tastes more like a light condensed milk, not too bad really, but the smell is a tad problematic for me. The ladies at work seem to like it though, so I will leave the bottle for them. Brittle bones, oh my.

New tastes

2009-04-28T07:50:00.003+08:00

I am constantly told "you look chinese" and there's an underlying sense of expectation that I speak chinese, not to mention know all there is to know about living in China. I usually shrug my shoulders, try not to confuse the person with explanations about the diverse origins of Chinese Filipinos (overseas chinese is the phrase they understand best, yes, I have returned to the motherland, comrade!), and move the discussion to another track. As for speaking, they usually realize my chinese is still a work in progress, although one of my students said it wasn't bad (hahahaha).

One of the aspects of living in China that I'm going to do more of is tasting different specialties, depending on the region. Wenzhou is more of a seafood town, and I've been told their fish is very good. Strolling through town on days off, I normally spy a diner selling "fish balls" or "fish ball soup", this makes me think of our own fish balls at home, which look like balls! Here, they don't, more like fish nuggets, or rolled up willy nilly and plopped into a bowl of slightly acidic (vinegar probably) broth and a sprinkle of green onions. It is a very fishy taste, no ginger to mask that sense of, yes, you are eating fish. I can imagine that this wouldn't be a favorite among non-chinese eaters, who don't revel in the smell of fish. I would prefer some ginger myself but all you get for a side dish is some pickled cabbage at best.

Among food blogs, Appetite for China has been my go to source for good eats in China. Diana Kuan has been cooking and teaching in China for a couple of years now, at her base in Shanghai. Through her blog, I was alerted to the mulberry season, and managed to find the first fruits in the market near my apartment. They look like elongated blackberries, but the flavors are quite mild, somewhat astringent. Be prepared for stained fingers that won't wash out easily. She recently posted about grass jelly, a black gelatin that is supposed to be good for the health. I've had it in the past with coffee, but didn't think too much about it. I'm now having a couple of tablespoons mixed into my tea steeped drink, slathered with a healthy dollop of condensed milk. A pleasant way to start my morning while I read the morning news online.

The apartment complex has all sorts of vendors, and yesterday afternoon, I came across a mobile cart selling what looked like sushi. The man placed a sheet of dry nori (seaweed), had a large container of rice, and smaller buckets of pork floss, shredded cucumbers, peanuts, pickles and fried dough. It's sort of like the California roll, but no avocado. For 3 renmimbi (P21), you get a large roll, made while you wait, a tasty snack or light lunch.

There are some things that aren't Chinese at all, but make my heart palpitate in happiness. When you live in another country, you try to eat as local as possible, but after awhile you miss things from home or whatever makes your tastebuds nostalgic. I told friends recently that I was thrilled to see a Haagen-Dazs cafe here, they have most of my favorite flavors, and quite a dessert menu. They have this special tea set with cute little ice cream sandwiches on a tea caddy, three stacks high. I've taken refuge there once after a long walk and it was pleasant to sit watching people walk by. Yesterday, I discovered that Beard Papa has opened its first outlet in town. A complete surprise and since it's still in its early days, the pastry puff is still light and crisp, unlike the puffs in Manila that have turned all dense and bready. What I am eyeing in the Beard Papa store is the adorable bento box carrier they have in the display. Bright yellow with the cartoon face of Beard Papa on it, I must have it for my bento collection.

I have a lot more taste exploring to do!

Hop on the bus, gus

2009-04-24T17:10:00.002+08:00

8 hours to Xiamen, 8 hours to Shenzhen, 16 hours back to Wenzhou. All for four stamps on my passport. Whee.

What can I say about the sleeping buses of this wonderful country? There are the sleeping pallets, a cot that wouldn't fit anyone beyond 5'7" and whose top bunks I really don't like clambering up on. There are the quilts and questionable pillows; do they ever get washed? I suspect not. There are the passengers, a majority are men, mostly adults (haven't had the pleasure of a vomiting child next to me yet, oh dear, I just know that now I've thought of it, I'm bound to have one the next time around), and not too many (if any) foreigners. I was probably the only non-Chinese on all the buses I've taken thus far and I don't stick out too much if I don't open my mouth and ask questions. The other aspect of my fellow passengers is the basic level of hygiene they observe. There's no telling who is going to take their shoes off and perfume the air with foot-halitosis (you must take your footwear off at the time you get on the bus, and place them in a plastic baggy. That reduces the amount of dirt tracked in on the buses, but not necessarily reduces odor problems.).

Finally the bus drivers and conductors - most of them are quite solicitous, demanding, and helpful when needed. One steward made sure I was heading in the right direction at Shenzhen, and the bus drivers always recommended I put my backpack into the luggage compartment. I would still take it inside with me, and use it to protect me against any pallet bugs that the last passenger may have left behind.

Over the last 10 years China has built up its road system, the highways are laid out, north to south, east to west and so on. What might have taken me a day to get to in 1996 now only requires 8 hours. If I took the train, it would take me 12 hours. So I chose the bus as my form of coast to coast travel, even with horrible memories of being bounced around for hours, being pecked at by my neighbor's chickens, or hearing the sound of a child puking me behind me. Since the advent of the sleeper buses, there's a bit more room and no chickens have clouded the door of my trips so far. But the last couple of days, I've truly wondered if I have the strength to deal with any more nauseatingly foul body odor, smoking (which turns out to mask the smell of feet if only for a couple of minutes or two), and bus toilets. Here are a few lessons I must remember for future trips:

1. Wear long pants, long socks, and long sleeve shirts. Not merely to add a layer of protection against the linen on the bus, but because they love blasting the ac even if it's 10 degrees celcius outside. A couple of layers helps, and something like a hat to cover the head is doubly useful.
2. Bring the ipod portable charger, there isn't anywhere to plug in the usb charger.
3. The public bathroom at the midway point isn't as bad as I have come to expect, definitely much better than trying to balance oneself over the hole in the bus lav while the bus is roaring down the interstate.
4. One Snickers bar is insufficient caloric input on an 8 hour journey. The salad lunch at the Helena May (muchisimas gracias to J!) on the other hand kept me from rushing towards a bowl of murky soup at 10 pm (a third of the way into the 16 hour leg).
5. The name of the bus station doesn't necessarily mean it's in the same district. Case in point, Shenzhen has a few large bus stations, and the one I needed to find to head back north, Futian Bus Station, wasn't in Futian District, rather it was in some other part of town. Imagine my near heart attack at getting to the end of the line (on the Shenzhen subway), believing I was at the right area only to be told that I would have to get back on the train and head in the other direction. WTF!!!! Amazing Race, believe you me. I had to catch a 5 pm bus, and it was 4:50 pm.
6. Have a sense of humor and imagination. They're sorely lacking at midnight but as one sensible and wise man said, if you lose your temper, then you are merely showing the lack of insight into yourself.
7. Endeavor to create a smell barrier that will reduce the feeling of gagging when the smell of ripe feet or even more foul bathroom aromas penetrate one's consciousness. I bet I could make a fortune if I found something like that.

In the meantime I am back in the comfort of my temporary home, washed and disinfected my travel clothes, and glad not to have to go forth and stamp for another few weeks.

What if...

2009-04-19T09:46:00.003+08:00

I recall watching a Richard Pryor movie sometime in the 80's where Mr. Pryor was given a gazillion dollars with a rather big catch - he had to spend all of it in one month! If he did, he would win even more gazillions of moolah; if he didn't he would lose everything he bought and go back to the tedium of his previous life (something very pedestrian I'm sure). Sometimes when I'm filled with ennui, I imagine that scenario - you get a call from some company that tells you "we've chosen you for this task: spend $100 million dollars in one month, and if you manage, you will be given a billion dollars!" - what type of stuff could you waste all that money on?

For the foodie in me, there's a list of the 8 most outrageous (but a few of them are quite pretty) kitchen gadgets, including an 18 karat white gold screwdriver, and an artsy wave grill. The one that I want right now is the TurboChef, which I thought they promoted on Iron Chef America, since how do they manage to make those dishes in less than an hour without the help of some superduper fast ovens? I think all kitchens should have one! Maybe with my imaginary loot, I'd buy myself one and get all my cooking obsessed friends one too! That way if I lose the bet and don't end up with the bazillions, I can still go to their apartments and broil a turkey in an hour!

My knees go weak

2009-04-17T14:59:00.000+08:00

"Sarah, my love for you is deathless, it seems to bind me to you with mighty cables that nothing but Omnipotence could break; and yet my love of Country comes over me like a strong wind and bears me irresistibly on with all these chains to the battlefield.

"The memories of the blissful moments I have spent with you come creeping over me, and I feel most gratified to God and to you that I have enjoyed them so long. And hard it is for me to give them up and burn to ashes the hopes of future years, when God willing, we might still have lived and loved together and seen our sons grow up to honorable manhood around us. I have, I know, but few and small claims upon Divine Providence, but something whispers to me - perhaps it is the wafted prayer of my little Edgar -- that I shall return to my loved ones unharmed. If I do not, my dear Sarah, never forget how much I love you, and when my last breath escapes me on the battlefield, it will whisper your name.

"Forgive my many faults, and the many pains I have caused you. How thoughtless and foolish I have oftentimes been! How gladly would I wash out with my tears every little spot upon your happiness, and struggle with all the misfortune of this world, to shield you and my children from harm. But I cannot. I must watch you from the spirit land and hover near you, while you buffet the storms with your precious little freight, and wait with sad patience till we meet to part no more.

"But, O Sarah! If the dead can come back to this earth and flit unseen around those they loved, I shall always be near you; in the garish day and in the darkest night -- amidst your happiest scenes and gloomiest hours - always, always; and if there be a soft breeze upon your cheek, it shall be my breath; or the cool air fans your throbbing temple, it shall be my spirit passing by.

"Sarah, do not mourn me dead; think I am gone and wait for thee, for we shall meet again."

- Sullivan Ballou, 1829-1861

Cake-chronicity

2009-04-16T09:57:00.002+08:00

I have been hankering for cake. But chinese cakes tend to be either one of two kinds: dry and frosted with sugary sweet frosting, or dry with no frosting (but something weird and crumbly inside). Without an oven of my own, not even my trusty turbo broiler, how was I going to get by?
A talk with a student confirmed that there was a cake shop near the office, unfortunately I wrote it down on a class list and forgot to transfer the information to another sheet of paper. What a ditz! So I was pleasantly surprised to see a plate with a slice of what looked like strawberry shortcake sitting next to my computer after I had done a class. Cake! A layered cake with frosting, and as I bit into the cake, it wasn't dry or crumbly. And the frosting wasn't too offputting either, more like Coolwhip. It also had some fruit bits in between the layers and a few custardy tidbits scattered in and around the slices. It was quite yummy, and a relief for someone who needed, nay, ached for cake.
However, what I thought were strawberries turned out to be something totally different. Yes, they are fruit, but tomatoes??? Saladcake, anyone?

Practicalities

2009-04-12T16:52:00.003+08:00

Other than making a few discoveries a day while living here (there's a Sephora in town!), I am also learning a few things about how things work. For example, I bought a map from a street vendor the day after I arrived and I'm happy to say it's getting a lot of use. It lists which buses run around town, and I can save a heck of a lot of money by taking the bus into town, rather than taking the cabs. Buses do stop at designated bus stops here, and won't just let you off anywhere you feel like it. How I wish our buses back in Manila were the same.

I also wish our supermarkets would consider the pay for shopping bag rule they have here. If you don't bring your own shopping bag, you have to pay 3 mao (approximately P2.10) for every plastic bag your stuff gets put into. I think forcing the customer to pay for plastic makes a point to reuse your plastic bags or bring totes! Since so many of our local supermarkets are selling canvass totes, why don't they give shoppers a small discount or a free gift if they use the darn things?

Tomorrow, I will go to the library with two of my fellow co-workers, I hear they even have movies for rent, so I don't have to spend all my savings on buying up a collection of dvds!

Top of the heap

2009-04-12T15:59:00.002+08:00

This was an eye opener of sorts. The Philippines ranks number two in overall number of foreign born workers in the US according to this immigration and job article in the New York Times. When you go through the individual job descriptions, there are only two types of jobs where we don't figure at all, Skilled Construction and Construction Laborers (which is interesting since we send so many construction workers to the Middle East and around Asia), otherwise we are always in the top ten, and naturally in one area - Nurses, we top the list. We send the second most number of Doctors (after India), come third in the number of Policemen and other Protective Workers. What did surprise me was seeing the Pinas top the list of Accountants! Goodness, all those mathematical minds at work, figuring out who gets a tax break, world dominance indeed. Health care and taxes, quite a grip we have no?

The dumplings and noodles in my neighborhood

2009-04-11T16:45:00.003+08:00

From 1994 to 1996 I lived in the city of Xiamen, Fujian province, ostensibly to learn Chinese, but also to figure out what I was going to do with my life. The Chinese language classes were interesting, although 15 years later I find myself struggling to remember so much of what I never used. What has stayed with me was a love for real chinese food.

There is a great deal of regional differences in Chinese food, and what has spread around the world have been the hordes of Cantonese and Sichuan cooks (and very few chefs) dominating a global landscape of fried rice, sweet and sour pork, and something called General Tso's Chicken. Who GT was, no one knows, especially no Chinese I've ever spoken to. In N. America, there are too many mediocre chinese restaurants and take out counters that destroy any sense of what good chinese food is; in S.East Asia, we are so much luckier, but even in a country like the Philippines with our cultural and demographically strong presence, there are as many bad chinese restaurants as there are traffic jams in a day. And since most of our ancestors came from one province in China, Fujian, we don't have a good variety of chinese cuisine. Not too many good hunanese or sichuan restaurants to fan the flames of the chilli heads, neither do we have the hot pots from the north, or a flurry of hand pulled noodle shops. And let's not forget that there's only a couple of places in Ongpin that serve decent dumplings (jiao zi).

Being back in China for the time being, I am determined to try as many dumpling and noodle shops around. For one, they're cheap. I can eat a plate of 10 dumplings for as little as 4 renmimbi, sometimes 6 renmimbi (appr P28 to P43). A bowl of noodles costs about the same. And a plate or a bowl is hearty, it will keep you going for a few hours, no need to add more stuff down your maw.

In the two weeks I've been based in Wenzhou, I've scouted the lanes for what could be good places to try a plate or a bowl of my favorite comfort foods. I can't say that I've discovered the best, but my forays around my neighborhood have been productive to say the least. I hope to get in the good graces of some of the places I've been to so I can ask the owners to let me take a photo of them doing their magic. The owner of the Lan Zhou noodle shop I was in recently worked the hand pulled noodles, pulling the dough into magically thin threads in less than a couple of minutes, then tossed it into the boiling broth. I've found that Wenzhou dumpling soups come with a few dried shrimp and a hearty helping of seaweed in the broth.

A couple of days ago I stumbled upon a northeast dumpling place, Dong Bei is also the name of the dumpling place in Ongpin, but these dumplings were a different animal, they were stuffed, full of vegetables and meat, and a plate of 15 pieces overwhelmed me. I was a very happy puppy popping in a dumpling at a time, dipped in a blend of black vinegar, soy sauce and dried chilli peppers.

Today a stroll down a neighborhood lane led me to a place that made a good plate of fried rice with vegetables and egg, but what made my mouth water was the spicy bowl of boiled fish in spicy sauce and topped with chunks of dried chillis. Shui Zhu Yu, I heart thee. But I will have to come back to try it out another time. The apple cheeked waitress was kind and made sure I had hot water to wash down my meal.

The days are getting warmer, the nights are perfect for exploration, and my tummy is happy to be filled with chinese goodies that I love.

Chinese stories

2009-04-10T17:42:00.002+08:00

In the last week, I've learned quite a few things about chinese culture, stuff that I know I had never heard before:

1. After a blind date (set up by professional matchmakers), a chinese man will show a girl that he wishes to continue seeing her by giving a monetary token, usually 200 renmimbi (approximately P1400), placed in a red envelope. It is taken as an insult if the man only gives 100 rmb or less (sort of like a slap in the face). Why give any money at all if they don't want to see the girl, I guess is what the standards require.

2. Seems like there are a lot of "witches", healers, among the older society. Some of the students have told me that their mothers took them to white witches when they were younger, typically after some medical mystery that the doctors couldn't figure out. Only one student told me of a male witch. And a good number of the students seem to believe in superstition, or at least had unexplained experiences.

3. I discovered that I had been accosted by a nun! On one of the first days of my stay in this town, I was walking around near the train station and an older woman grabbed my arm saying she wanted to give me something. Fearing for the safety of my belongings, I managed to wriggle out of her grasp. A few days ago, I was trying to explain the difference between a monk and a nun, and I was told that there are a lot of nuns who make you pay for something triffling, something they foist on you demanding money but at the same time saying it is a good luck charm. Hmmm. The nuns in Xiamen never tried stuff like that on us before!

On a slightly disgruntled note, my office's nice clean girls toilet is under repair, it seems to be taking a long time for them to tinker with whatever needs fixing, and I have to either wait till I get home or submit to the squat toilet. Aiyiiiii!

The balcony

2009-04-07T13:15:00.004+08:00

My favorite spot in the apartment is my balcony; on a warm-ish day, I can hang up my laundry, get a bit of morning sun, sip a cup of freshly brewed jasmine tea, and watch the people, my neighbors, go about their business, not to mention peer over and see how messy the first floor neighbors' backyard extensions are. Yesterday morning, I spent a good thirty minutes soaking in some needed Vitamin D, and wondering about the people in my neighborhood. There's the older couple, perhaps 60 or so, relatively healthy, but getting on in years. The man brushes and waxes a pair of shoes, his wife folds his quilted jacket sleeves up so they don't get streaky with black shoe polish. Their garden/lanai is quite neat, full of healthy plants, and the marble tile looks clean. If my calculations are right, they have lived all their lives under the current regime; his build makes me think he must have done some heavy lifting in his day, and I wonder if he was a kind man, to his family or to people who crossed his path. Did he purge anyone from his unit? Do they wonder what would have happened if their families had brought them out of the country early on?
To my left, the other first floor residents have a bit of a pigsty in their backyard, the little section I can see is full of empty plastic bottles, some laundry, and the entire area is bare concrete. One fellow comes out, and looks to be scratching his scalp intently, going over every inch with both hands, shaking dandruff out of his scalp maybe or just massaging himself awake. One of his fellow housemates comes out in only his underpants to toss out some used water.
Across the path and to the right, the front door opens and a child stumps out, carrying the trash. He lugs it over the front lawn, dumps it there and starts pouting. He's exuding sheer unhappiness, and then slumps back inside, leaving the garbage out. The tip is actually down the path, another fellow brings old flowers out to toss, but the little boy's bag's remain on the grass. About 15 minutes later, a middle age man comes out holding three large bags, he keeps the door open for a bit, then I see the same child carrying more bags behind him. They don't speak, but I sense this could be the dad. The man barely gives the boy any consequence, they are both carrying a load, but the child is probably no more than 7 and he's got his hands full. The man walks ahead, doesn't check if the child is following, and with some stumbling, the boy follows him down the lane and to the left of the main gate.

*************************************************************************************

I have two patio chairs on my balcony, I washed them down a few days ago and they come in handy in the space. What I discovered attached to one of the chairs, however, gives me pause. I think they are handcuffs, but they don't have any keyhole, so I am not sure if that's the purpose of their nasty looking grip. I can't remove them from the chair, and it gives that particular seat an ominous presence. What person or thing was forced to stay in that chair? Why are there tape marks on one metal arm? Or have all my previous literary readings of this country colored this simple tool? It could just be something naughty, forgotten in the corner of the 4th floor.

Food finds

2009-04-06T17:35:00.003+08:00

A, one of my many co-workers, took me to buy a cellphone today. One crazy hour later, we finally exited China Mobile with my 400 renmimbi (approximately P2800.00) Nokia; the system to buy and set up the phone sure is insane here! Suddenly, I missed going to Globe or Smart and just getting a phone.

After the to-ing and fro-ing for the phone, we went into the heart of town to try some of the local delicacies. A said she wanted me to try a specialty of Wenzhou called "hun dun", a clear soup with pork dumplings. We went to a celebrated diner called Chang Ren Hun Dun, which looks to be a family run little place that has gained fame for being the best hun dun diner in town. The soup is good, clear, flavorful, and a bowl that cost us 5 renmimbi (rmb), approximaly P35, was brimming with the pork dumplings, fresh vegetables, and seaweed. I would say this is the best find in this town, good value for the rmb/buck. A also bought a large bun made of radish, pork, and egg, called deng xiang gao, with a nice crispy crust. It is a good accompaniment to the soup. The fried dumplings, guo tie, were ok, filled with pork and chestnuts, but I think I prefer the beijing or northern dumplings more.

On the street, people walk around munching on little pancakes (bings), I found a lady who made hopia style biscuits filled with a chewy mochi filling. It's a bit dry at first bite, but once you get into the nice chewy center, it's a great little treat as you walk around, dodging the cars, bikes, and other pedestrians. Other vendors sell uber-large bbq sticks of meat, and another popular snack seems to be this rectangular grilled meat on a stick; no, it's not Spam, but I haven't tried it yet.

A said I should try some nuts, I thought it would be some special local nuts, but they turned out to be roasted chestnuts. They sell them with this plastic disk that helps you cut it open. Good golly miss molly, use your teeth people!

We walked up the street as A wanted to show me the largest mall in Wenzhou. I was ready to be less than thrilled, but I showed a lot more enthusiasm when I saw on the corner of the mall, Haagen Dazs! Yes, my ice cream needs are safe. I treated A to a scoop of coffee ice cream, while I had a scoop of strawberry and a cappucino, a much needed caffeine boost. It was a bit more than I had budgeted to spend today, but sometimes a small splurge is absolutely necessary.

Hula

2009-04-03T14:09:00.003+08:00

I got home last night, a long day. Put in an extra three hours of overtime to cover one of the other teachers who didn't get back from a trip. I sat in my chilly living room, waiting for the heater to do it's magic, and looked up at the wall. The previous tenants left a lot of stuff behind, and the landlord said they were mine to do with as I like (or at least I think that's what he said in chinese). They left a woven wall hanging, picturing some seaside in blue and green. But what they hung on the same peg makes me smile. A hula hoop. I haven't had one in years!
It's a three day weekend here in China, many of the locals will head to their villages, pay respects to the dead, it's the Tomb Sweeping Day weekend. Sort of like our All Saint's Day in November. Because I also get three days off, I will attend to a few household duties, get that kitchen in order and cook myself a soup, something hearty to ward off the cold. Maybe go to one of the three wine shops nearby and see if there's anything worth spending a few days salary on, or if that doesn't prove fruitful just buy myself some sake I saw in the convenience store (sake, baijiu, etc, all in our local 7-11), and keep warm under my quilt.
Or take down the hula and whittle my waist away. Hula championships, here I come.

403

2009-04-02T09:05:00.002+08:00

My apartment is in the 7th block, inside a massive apartment complex. All the buildings are 6 to 7 stories tall, and I'm in the middle, 4th floor. No elevators, so if I have to lug anything heavier than a few grocery bags, I'm going to be in contention for a weight lifting contest pretty soon. So far though the heaviest I've had to drag up is my backpack, which didn't wind me up too much.

The apartment is approximately 82 sqm, large for one person, as expressed by all the ladies at the office who have either helped me in finding an apartment, or when they start gossiping among themselves. I'm the newest face around here, so it's natural they get all in a twitter over what I'm doing. So the 2 bedroom, 1 bath apartment, with a dining room, kitchen, and a small balcony for hanging clothes is more than enough space for little old me, given the cramped conditions of most of my fellow chinese co-workers.

The place came furnished, and that was a godsend. There's a large bed in the main bedroom, a bunk bed in the smaller bedroom (it was the kids' room, a lot of the toys they didn't want to bring when the last tenant moved out are still on the shelves). Dining table, 4 chairs, a refrigerator (that is still a bit stinky, must do another washdown with baking soda and hot water), a sofa and arm chair set in plasticky light blue leatherette, glass coffee tables, a large a/c-heater, and the dominating feature in the living room is a large tv with all the doodads for blasting really loud music (speakers and some machines that you twiddle for sound). I wondered why anyone would just leave this stuff behind, but I guess they moved on to flat screen and higher end goods. In any case, I don't have cable, and I will either electrocute myself trying to figure out how to connect one plug to another so I will stick to reading, surfing online, and tossing strange ingredients in the one pot I found in the cupboard.

I miss my cat.

Excuse me

2009-03-30T10:40:00.002+08:00

I don't like whining, and I especially hate travellers who can't seem to find anything good about a place (you know those types, the I only eat at fast food joints because I know their names back home, why is everything around here dirty, why does everyone not speak english types). I won't be spending much time focusing on the negatives, but I figure a bit of exasperation at how things work here in the land of tea and rice won't be taken against me (and hopefully no blog blocking on the part of the local censors).
I told several friends before I left that my biggest concern was having a clean toilet, a western toilet preferably, and to my eternal gratitude the gods have been good so far. My office has clean, sanitized options, both Western and squat. And the hotel I am staying at for the first few days has a western toilet.
The hotel itself, well, it could be several notches better. It seriously needs a carpet upgrade, are those cigarette burns everywhere? And I forgot how much I would be surrounded by smokers here, they smoke in the bus (right in front of the No Smoking sign - it's in chinese, no way for them to plead ignorance), they smoke in the elevator, they smoke in their rooms. I'm girding myself to bitchslap the first student who tries to light up in class. Well, castigate, in really nice but stern tones. I am practicing my steely gaze as I write this.
The city's taxi system is unusually strict. Taxis can only go in a particular direction and if you ask them to go the other way, they tell you to cross the road and grab a cab on the other side. I asked the ladies here at work and they explained that it would cost me more if I tried to make the cabbies turn around, so at least that's one lesson learned so far. I'm still trying to make heads or tails of the bus system, the buses look rather swiffy, none of the old russian buses that I used to push my way in (because the old chinese ladies would push their way in, sticking their elbows into your ribs to grab leverage) way back in the early 90's. Chinese cabbies are crazy, they definitely push their boundaries when it comes to weaving in and out of traffic. Back in Xiamen, we saw a particularly intense accident, a bus crashed into the center aisle metal rail. Glass everywhere, the bumper and front grill looked beyond repair. I think I had better increase my death and dismemberment insurance when I go home in a few months time.
Wenzhou boomed due to the industrial growth of the last 8 years; its vicinity to Shanghai made it very popular for companies that build small parts for practically everything. Fashion, cars, machinery, office equipment. Somewhere in the flatlands towards the west, there was a factory built just to make some tiny hinge by the thousands. Migrant workers flooded in, and the city grew exponentially. The folks who grew rich off the proletariats backs now drive around in beamers, porsches, and range rovers galore. A walk around town yesterday was quite eye opening. There's money in these hills, although the economic downturn is hitting everyone hard. Exports are going to be double digit percentage points lower than last year, so those cars may not be on the road for much longer.
The main shopping drag, Five Horses Street and the offshoot alley, First Bridge, is full of the least essential items on the face of the earth. Ok, maybe the diva editor in the Devil Wore Prada would disagree with me, but do the citizens of this city really need store after store of deconstructed sack like dresses, jeans, handbags, shoes with ruffles on the heel, and undergarments?
I am thrilled that I can spend a few kuai for dvds; without access to english news, I know that knowing a few stores that will feed my need for mindless entertainment will be a godsend. I already got a copy of Doubt and SATC (extended cut). I should have quite the collection in a few months.
Oh and speaking of eating in fast food joints, I must hang my head in shame that I caved in and ate at the KFC by the train station. But if there's any reason to gloat, the KFC here serves fantastic egg tarts! Macau, schmacau, I don't need to fly/train/bus my down south for flaky, eggy, creamy tarts! Yahoo!

Onward ho

2009-03-25T13:13:00.002+08:00

My bags are packed. Am I ready to go? Not as wholeheartedly as I used to be, I think it's a part of the aging process, the reluctance to move again, create a new home in a new place, make new friends. Over three years ago, I moved to a new house, but that wasn't too far from where I used to live. This time around, I've packed boxes up, sorted through the accumulated junk of three years (how did I manage to surround myself with all this stuff???), and put my pets up with my folks. I do feel bad for my mom, since I can see with new eyes how much all her kids (myself included) have dumped on her everytime we move house or country. I do hope I won't take too long to gather all my detritus from her cabinets and dispose of them properly.

The only thing on my Hope For list is a working, clean Western style bathroom wherever I end up. I don't have high expectations, knowing what I know... but I'm a positive thinker.

Crowning (oily) glory

2009-03-20T16:37:00.002+08:00

Personal hygiene, washing, showering, shampooing, feeling squeaky clean. Are they all crock? An article states that washing everyday is not as healthy as it seems. I can't imagine not shampooing daily, the few times I have been forced not to lather up always ends up feeling like I want to tear my hair out of my head.

Breakfasts for the not quite a champion

2009-03-16T10:37:00.002+08:00

It wasn't a plan of any kind, but perhaps seeing a great post about hearty provincial breakfasts made me yearn for something more hearty and filling than a cracker and Yakult (which has been my go to, I'm starving at 9 am, and forgot to eat something again, and my eyes are starting to roll in the back of my head because I forgot to eat...). Friday morning, I left home early to avoid traffic which meant hours twiddling my fingers, or doing something a bit more productive like checking emails at a nearby cafe with good breakies. Apartment 1B has become a good place to eat and meet friends and write, a cosy neighborhood nook full of great tastes and smells. I normally order eggs benedict when I'm there, but I decided to think about what I really wanted to eat as I scanned the menu. And there it was, waffles. With a side of bacon please. Blood pressure be damned. It was a great choice, the mini-wells in the waffles captured more of the maple syrup and the bacon, oh, how I wish I could have more of that bacon. Crispy. Shatteringly crispy. And not runty bacons. No, these were long streaks of bacon, a long pig sacrificed itself for those three strips. Worthy of those four wedges of maple dressed waffles. And a hot chocolate.

Saturday, I had oatmeal.

Sunday was originally scheduled for a quick trip to the Lung Center where I'd mosey around the fruits and vegetables but seriously thinking only about hot bibingka, but catching up on a lack of sleep meant foregoing the early rise and redirecting myself towards Cubao where I spontaneously chose Cafe Adriatico over Krispy Kreme. And running down the list of breakfasts on the menu, I thought the Fisherman's breakfast seemed a healthier choice than the litany of porky items, and other tasty sundries. The Fishermen who eat at CA will enjoy a large serving of "smoked sardines" ie tuyo, with munggo topped with chicharon, a red egg and tomato salad, saba bananas cooked in sugar, and coffee or tea. What I didn't know was that their munggo had a secret healthy ingredient - ampalaya! Argh. Would I manage to eat the bitter fruit on a Sunday, and in the morning at that? I recalled the early years when I was told to eat my ampalaya because it was good for me; I'd cut them into the tiniest strips imaginable to avoid eating them, because dicing them up and moving them around the plate made them seem to disappear in a child's logical frame of mind. I paused for awhile looking at the scalloped crescents of green, hard to miss those for sure. I could spoon the munggo and the chicharon and leave the slices piled up in the bowl... nah. Thankfully they were not too bitter, and worked admirably well with the smoked sardines (Tuyo! they're called tuyo, Cafe Adriatico menu writers!). And it made me feel like I was eating a lot healthier than I would have if I had given in to my wishes for tapa, or KK next door.

Another early morning wake up call today, and I wandered around Makati thinking where to wait before going to the doctor? I popped into a health food cafe in RCBC building and ordered the Power Breakfast combination of muesli with vegetable omelet, which comes with a plate of fresh fruit and tea/coffee. Not a bad deal and the omelet was just the right size, with a large bowl of muesli and truly fresh fruit (the mangoes were perfectly sweet). I think I prefer the cafe's set over what gets served downstairs at Deli France. Plus I had the place all to myself!

What breakfasts will I turn to next? I still have lots of crackers and yakult though...

Weekend plan

2009-03-13T10:51:00.002+08:00

Saturday:
6am - Oatmeal
7am - walk dog
8am - open house for book sale
9am - bring dog to vet
10 am to 2pm - urge friends to keep buying books
3pm - chocolate tasting
5pm - bring dog to my parents
7pm - dinner

Sunday:
7am - lung center market (bibingka!)
9am - PAWS
12 noon - lunch
1 pm to 7 pm - book sale at home
evening - spa

Morning shocker

2009-03-11T12:34:00.002+08:00

I went to the doctor for a check up and was given bad news - my blood pressure is way too high. Both systolic and diastolic are higher than I've ever seen before, and the worst part is that I've sensed the changes internally. So while it was shocking to see the actual numbers, I wasn't in disbelief. I could feel when I'd have a harder time catching my breath while climbing the stairs, I felt the impact of the heat of the summer, I have had a harder time sleeping. Stress the last few months bearing down on me and feeling like a vise.
I have the tools to change things. I can eat healthier, exercise, and meditate. Will it be so easy to turn things around? I know it's possible, and it just requires a few tweaks to my schedule. I don't want to be taking drugs to lower my bp, so I must change the inside with the tools I have outside. Reading up on alternative measures, I see I have to add more celery and garlic to the diet, and use that 20 to 30 minutes I waste lollygagging in bed in the morning (telling myself to get out of bed and go to work) meditating and working on breathing exercises. That's a start.

Four meals with four friends

2009-03-02T14:22:00.003+08:00

Litany of tastes on the last Saturday of February:
1. Kanin Club, Paseo de Sta. Rosa. Pair the crispy dinuguan with the thai green mango salad. And the crunchy tadyang works well with the sigarillas cooked bicol express style. The patola cooked in olive oil was a light dish, a good counterpoint to all the meaty yumminess on the table, good with tapa. Don't order the all you can eat rice, it's pure gluttony and you never ask for a refill anyway. Unfortunately, the sticky rice with mango was more a miss than a hit. They used regular rice, and it didn't taste like it was cooked in coconut milk.
What I would like to try if I go back: the crispy binagoongan and the seafood karekare.
2. Il Gallo Nero - we had a pizza for merienda, thin crust, had the specialty of the house with arugula and prosciutto. A good find in a somewhat far from the main center of town location. The Tuscan chef is no longer connected with the place, no idea if the rest of the menu stands up to the test. But if you're returning from Nasugbu and are hungry with the munchies, then stop at the Alfonso hotel, and grab a pie.
3. Bawai - we overordered. Prior to going, we had been given too many instructions (no space, then space became available, then told to order by text, told that the only items available were down to six items, then given different instructions that the entire menu was available, and then when we did text in the order, asked for more clarity regarding who was ordering what. I was not impressed so far.). Good thing the place turned out to be charming, the food, mostly good, and the people and service much faster than we had been told it would be. Because of the jolly to and fro-ing of the instructions, we ended up ordering too many ribs, an extra order of the chicken, and we probably only needed one bowl of pho. But the flavors were enchanting, the broth on the mark. I'd want more caramelization in the chicken and the pork ribs could use more oomph. High marks for the fresh rolls and the sausages (which a friend of a friend told us not to order) were much better than we had expected (never listen to someone who doesn't like adventurous eating, they always fail.).
4. Chateau Hestia - we'd been eating since noon, and by 9 pm, we were all distended. But foodies never back down from a challenge, and we walked a few meters in the dark to the neighboring bistro for dessert and some dalandan-celo (-cello?). The grand marnier gelato was lovely with a shot of the vin d'orange, but the hot chocolate drink was lacking any depth of flavor or texture. The panna cotta with passion fruit puree was lovely. The dalandan/calamansi liquor was a bit too astringent, strong on the palate. Very cleansing after all that food we had during the day. The surroundings are likewise pleasant, I would like to see the place during the day, enjoy a summer picnic on the lawn, and try the lamb.

We spent Sunday eating less heavy meals, the only bit that we failed to achieve was missing out on bacon waffles for breakfast, but the steak pies at Bag of Beans hit the spot on an overcast afternoon. Good bacon and fries there too.

Back to my regular eating schedule...

Graduating the doggies (and trainers)

2009-02-24T11:10:00.004+08:00

(I missed one week of dog rehabilitation training, this refers to last Sunday, our culminating event.)

The doggies were on parade, and we, the trainers, were fearful we'd fail the dogs. For no matter what anyone says, if we didn't do our jobs right, then the dogs won't do as we ask of them. So we sat, smiling, trying to get our enthusiasm up, helping each other through a difficult day.

JI had a specific exam set out. The dogs must complete all 6 behaviors - walk on a loose leash (no pulling, no tugging, no walking wherever they want; they must follow us); sit; placement on the bed; down; come when called; and crate. A dog passes if they accomplish at least 5 of the commands, preferably all 6 to move onwards to the next level of training. We all worried about certain dogs; Makisig hasn't been a star pupil, while some of our better dogs have been exhibiting a sense of losing interest in some commands (too easy? bored? not enough treats?). Mitch wasn't doing a down as quickly, and I knew Hazel still has trouble walking properly. Gwen showed up but hadn't worked with Iris for weeks, so she didn't think she should work with the dog; she eventually did work with her through the course. And since Hazel has her owner, I didn't have a dog to work with. So I gave my support to all the handlers, and made sure John knew what the course was going to be like. John and the other trainer Joe looked a bit green around the gills, worried their dogs wouldn't make the grade.

The first two dogs went through the course with flying colors, that didn't help those at the end of the line, since it started to look like the best dogs went first. Finally we had a couple of dogs who missed one of the six commands, and JI gave comments, but still passed the dogs. Whew. We started looking at it as not simply a major obstacle for the dogs, but a chance to show how well they've done in the last couple of months. Their success, and yes, all 8 dogs passed, made us feel like we've come a long way since we began last December.

JI made it clear that we got them through basic puppy training. The next step is to get them through good citizenship training, and hopefully something even more advanced in the future.

We ended the day with a dinner, looking through photos of our graduation event, and group photos with the dogs. It was a great Sunday, a day of achievement and camaraderie.

"Why do you cook?"

2009-02-20T18:16:00.003+08:00

In the Economist, Dr. Richard Wrangham explains the anthropological reasons for why our common ancestors took to eating food charred by the early flames. Cooking food meant that the first humans could digest food more efficiently, absorb the nutrients faster, change, evolve, and eventually learn how to post annoying Facebook photos. That, of course, is human evolution in a nutshell or less. But when I read it, I thought, why do I cook? This same question came up this week. A visitor from a prestigious international cooking school asked me and my colleague if we cooked, and what kind of cooks were we: does cooking relax you or does it stress you out? Does it inspire you or do you only want to be on the other end of the process (eating)? I find cooking to be pretty relaxing, inspiring, creative juices flowing, but there are moments, particularly when surrounded by pots, pans, whirring machinery making sounds it shouldn't, menu planning, realizing guests are arriving at the door and the rice is still raw, oh so many crazy moments before a meal, that the thought comes to mind "why am I doing this?"
Last Sunday, I fed two groups of friends. The first group were fed brunch food: a spinach mushroom quiche, french toast, creamy scrambled eggs, and fruit. Nothing too crazy and outrageous, plus the prep took less than an hour. The second group were fed chinese birthday noodles, boiled dumplings, taro duck (purchased from a local restaurant), and a sichuan style boiled beef. The latter menu required more prep, more kitchen time, more research. What I didn't tell most of the visitors that day was that three of the dishes were totally new to me. First the spinach quiche. I took inspiration from David Lebovitz's blog and riffed off his Spinach pie recipe. I added the mushrooms since I had them, and a load of shredded manchego cheese in lieu of parmesan. While it came out a tad saltier than I had hoped, it matched well with the scrambled eggs which I've made a lot of times before (the addition of cream and mustard make this a standout - something I learned from a Wolfgang Puck recipe).
The second and third dishes also being tested for the first time were the birthday noodles and the sichuan beef. "Misua" is a southern chinese noodle made of egg. They look like rice vermicelli, and bundled in sheaves that you cook quickly over salted boiling water. It takes no more than a few minutes to get it al dente, so it has to be cooked right before serving. The rest of the dish however can take awhile - preparation starts by soaking dried squid overnight, rinsing it out the next day, and then chopping into slivers. Soak a cup of chinese mushrooms for half an hour to an hour, and chop into small pieces. Make a chicken stock out of one chicken, garlic cloves, a good size piece of ginger sliced into coins, coarse salt, peppercorns, and I added some cloves for flavor. The chicken stock was made by placing all the ingredients in a crockpot and simmered for a couple of hours, skimming the scum every so often. The chicken pieces I have put aside, but the stock I kept simmering while I put the rest of the dish together. Saute half a kilo of ground pork with onions and ginger, add the squid, a cup of chopped chinese sausages (these tend to be very fatty and slightly sweet), the mushrooms, and when the pork is browned, add the stock (about 2 cups), and let simmer for an hour. When guests are about to arrive, toss in the cooked noodles. Serve with chopped scallions (greens), fried garlic chips, fried shallots, garlic peanuts, and typically a red-dyed chicken egg (the dye-ing of the eggs is not something I've figured out yet, so needless to say the eggs I served were more a blush pink than red).
This dish is typically served on someone's birthday, so I wanted to share this with the friends coming over for dinner. I have fond memories of this dish while I was growing up, my mother preparing days in advance and making sure we had this to eat for breakfast on any of our birthdays. I called my mom a few days before to ask for general directions, but wasn't sure if it would taste the same. I was pleased with the results except for the not so red eggs, and I'm glad I can turn to the memory of making it for future events.
The beef dish has been something I've planned to make for months now. I had seen it on Appetite for China, and knew I had to tinker with it. I loved this dish in Sichuan restaurants, it would be served boiling and bubbling like something out of hell, all the chillis dancing away on the top of the meat, and after a few spoonfuls, everyone would be sweating away from the dish, gustatory masochism!
I knew all the ingredients were easily found, and I just had to round them up, prep, and prepare, and serve when the diners were there. Other than going to the butcher early in the morning to get a good chunk of meat (and sliced by the kindly butcher to my specifications), it didn't take too long to saute the individual parts - spices, then vegetables, then the chilli bean sauce with stock (shared the stock of the birthday noodles), which got an extra dose of chillis when I added something I found recently - a garlic chilli sauce - and let to simmer away till ready. The beef is doused with chinese rice wine ahead of time, then dusted with cornflour before cooking in the chilli stock. A quick swirl in the fiery stew, ladled out over the greens, and then served with the chilli sauce over it. The only part I didn't get to do was fire up a hot chilli oil to top the dish. By then my small kitchen was overrun with pots and ingredients and plates. One more item would have pushed it over the edge.
When I ponder on the question of why I cook, I figure it's not something I take for granted. I appreciate being fed by friends and family, I know it is a gift, a measure of their time and willingness to share themselves with me. I can only give back in kind. It's a better gift than anything I can buy, and I evolve.

Rock icons

2009-02-16T14:19:00.002+08:00

Spinal Tap is back! Or maybe just trying to make us give them more money. In any case, if you were a fan of the movie (This is Spinal Tap), laughed and snorted and nearly fell off the sofa while watching the dvd, then this is the greatest news since ... well since the last slow news day.

Grammies

2009-02-09T13:48:00.003+08:00

A hotwater bottle wrapped in a waffle teacloth, some hot tea, and lounging in my jammies, I settled into my sofa to watch the Grammies this morning. Nothing I ate was helping calm my tummy as a bad round of dysmennorhea kept me from leaving the house. Lying in bed wasn't going to get rid of it, and I was feeling less than perky after a long night of traipsing between the room and the bathroom. Women's troubles. Uck.

I didn't pay too much attention during the show, but found myself perking up when I saw that Robert Plant and Allison Krauss were nominated and won 5 awards, including best album for Raising Sand. At first I wondered if it was the same CD I had bought last year, one that I heard on Accuradio earlier in the year, and enjoyed enough to buy it with the help of a visiting friend. Indeed it was. It's a great album, country, rock, folk, blending seamlessly into very singable, sometimes haunting music. This is another case of mature music, not for the teenyboppers, but well written songs that only make sense when you start having more gray hair. Congratulations to the winners!

Week 9

2009-02-08T15:49:00.002+08:00

Some of the major points that we covered today included Consistency and the use of silence (or as JI said "Shut up and train"). A few of us, including me, were working with dogs that were normally trained by someone else. I took over Smart today, Hazel and Jon arrived late. Other than having to lure her to go Down, Smart was in good shape for training today, although my left hand feels like raw steak, her teeth are like jagged edges, and she bites down on my hand for the treat. One of the other trainers took over Mitch, who is normally run by K. Mitch is one of the dogs that had previous training, and she can typically plop down into a Sit or a Down with ease. But B couldn't get her to do the positions properly; we figured out that Mitch was not sure what was going on and it was as if her inner mind had decided to shut down after getting her signals crossed. Since B is a chattier trainer, it was also important to learn not to speak too much while getting a dog to do the command. Luring the dog to the proper position first until it is able to do the command properly, then using the command to affirm the position is what JI wants us to learn. We have to stop talking too much to our dogs, we're messing up with their auditory senses.
It was a long training day, even though we left the park at 1 pm, earlier than normal. But intense sessions with our dogs left most of us braindead at the end of the day. I needed cold sustenance and a large glass of sago gulaman was all I needed to pick me up from the floor.

Week 8

2009-02-04T16:33:00.002+08:00

It's been three days since my last session at the dog training session. What with all the workload since Sunday, it slipped my mind to write down what we completed and what we need to work on.
Met with John and Hazel at La Vista, tested her on sits and downs. The wily little canine seemed to have lost any interest doing a sit, but her downs were spot on. She still walks John instead of the other way around, so we had to talk to JI about this. We played puppy pingpong until she got tired and plopped down. We should have only done a couple of rounds while she was interested.
JI didn't teach us anything new, but wanted to see how we were doing as a group, so we brought in three dogs at a time, working on the basics. I took Putol (now known as Jack, as he has recently been adopted) in for a round of lessons, but he was not in the mood at all. No sits, just lay down on his side; he was more than typically distracted and couldn't seem to concentrate. I felt like a total failure as a dog trainer on Sunday.
The only highlight was when Smart let me work with her (her usual trainer was on leave that day), so we did a good set of three sits, three downs (with some luring, but she did the position properly), and her Heeling is so lovely to watch. I suggested the new trainer give her a go, since it would be easier to work with a dog with some proficiency, even though Smart can be a real wise-ass at times, not to mention she dislikes being touched on the ruff.
JI gave me a ride out of the village and we chatted about his plans for the team. He does want to get us to learn advanced training and get the dogs into a Good Citizen program, but we need a home with doors.
While it was a difficult day with my two dogs (both adopted! Does that count in my record?) on Sunday, I felt inspired to think about long term plans. Maybe I'll ask JI if I could be an apprentice so I could learn how to work with other dogs, purebreed and rescued.

My subconscious is telling me... something

2009-02-02T14:10:00.002+08:00

I have strange dreams, and while I'm not the only one out there with wild dreams, I do enjoy some of the weird symbolism of the dreams, if only I knew what they meant (symbolizing my strange thoughts? that I need to clean my bathroom better?). This morning's dream involved a friend who is an avid foodie, who was selling several of his family's kitchen items, each item solidly placed in what looked like bookshelves and displayed as if they were to be sold in Williams-Sonoma. For some reason, I wanted to get the breadbox, in a 60's bakelight detail, dark blue enamel. So I went to visit him and his family, only their home had turned into a british row-house, very narrow and compressed. The dog was there to greet me, but what caught my attention was a new dog they got, which only had a head, a barking, yapping, white head with barely any body left to it, perhaps a thrush like tail wagging in the back. I wasn't too surprised by the "eric-the-half-a-dog" nature of the new pet, but I did ask them if it was eating well. My friend looked very weak and aged, like his health was poor; he was weakly sipping at the bowl of duck soup, moaning about the lack of flavor and how difficult it was to eat properly.

Should I warn the friend that he might be the owner of a new half-dog soon?

5 out of 7: name the original justice league of america

2009-01-30T19:06:00.003+08:00

Can you name all 7 of the original characters of the Justice League of America? I only remembered 5 of the 7. Take the quiz to test your childhood memory.

In my youth

2009-01-29T17:21:00.002+08:00

Nostalgia is an emotion typically tinged with sadness: a favorite toy to be given away, long lost traditions over Christmas, riding a special carnival ride, reminiscing with childhood friends over one's youth. From a bright and optimistic morning, I've hit a late afternoon post-caffeine crash, and reading the news that Hershey's is closing the Joseph Schmidt and Scharffenberger factories in SF didn't help. The latter was never as closely connected to my younger days as Joseph Schmidt, however, I do understand that the many fans of the SB chocolates will be regrettably upset over the closure of the plants in the Bay area. But Joseph Schmidt was as close to nirvana when I was in college, beautiful belgian chocolate truffles, decorated, molded, boxed beautifully, rich and redolent, and hard to find. Nordstrom's carried them infrequently when I was in college, so I would sometimes wait for my sister up in SF to send me a box if she remembered. I took a factory tour one year, and how it opened my eyes to what real chocolate was all about, the velvety textures on the tongue, palate and back of the throat when it melts and lingers. How even the disliked alcoholic liquer-ed chocolates tasted better because they weren't using cheap harsh brandy or rum. And the smell... my olfactoral memories remember the heady depths of roasted cocoa beans in that space, seeped into the pores of the timbers of the walls and posts.
It's all going the way of what was. A day ending in nostalgia.

Fruit at the door

2009-01-29T12:06:00.004+08:00

I walked in through the back entrance of the building, whistling. There was a tune in my head, I couldn't identify it. Climbing down the stairs, I grinned at the lady security guard, and saw a man standing next to her with a plastic container filled with small clementines, kiat-kiat's we call them here. He noticed I was interested in the fruit and offered to sell me some. For P100 a kilo, he said they were sweet and seedless. The guard shared a couple of segments with me, I popped them into my mouth; juicy, citrusy, sugary goodness. The fruit-man said he'd weigh the fruits nearby and bring me my order.
A few minutes later, he comes straight to the door, a large bag of kiat-kiat ready for me. Pears and larger clementines are also on sale, but I only have eyes (and stomach) for the small fruit. He tells me he's here daily, and will have grapes tomorrow if I like, mangoes too. He promises to bring me some extra large carabao mangoes from Pangasinan, and adds me to his list of suki in the building.
I've begun peeling the kiatkiats, their skin is so thin, and barely any air in the body. The fruit segments are not dry, as you sometimes find in supermarket bags of kiats, and each one is as sweet as the last. Fruitman has made my morning even brighter than I expected.

Just a spoonful of worms and dirt

2009-01-29T11:37:00.003+08:00

Alleluia! Finally, an article that says everything I believe in about letting kids roll around in dirt, having pets, and how all this extreme cleanliness is not always good for you. Thank you, Ms. Brody for writing the article, and especially to Drs. Weinstock and Elliott!

Dance dance brow-volution

2009-01-25T19:17:00.000+08:00

Week 7, diagnoistics and moving forward

2009-01-25T15:22:00.003+08:00

Today was a hard day for dog training, handlers and dogs alike seemed out of sync. I thought it was just me, but everyone mentioned it at one point or another, that their dogs were not acting normal (we think Makisig is sick), wondering why a dog who used to be a snappy Down stay suddenly seemed to be deaf when her handler said Down (or she'd just go into a Sit). Sigh. I had to work with two dogs, Hazel (who has her owner with her now, so we're working in tandem) and Putol (who will end up pulling my arms out of their sockets, since he's so difficult to run with). The latter was stubborn and willful all through the run, but turned into a near dreamboat inside the training area. He did his sits and sit-stays beautifully; we struggled a bit with the downs, but by the end of the training session he was plopping down into downs relatively well.

I was so thrilled to see Hazel doing downs without having to be put into a sit. She hadn't been too keen on going into the Down position for weeks now, having to be lured constantly, and sometimes not wanting the treat if she had to work for it. Now, she did her sits perfectly, her sit stays are getting longer, and her downs are spot on! Yay! I'm giving her owner, John, a schedule to work with this week so she retains all her commands, and we look forward to a potentially smooth graduation in 4 weeks.

But the other dogs caused JI to worry a bit. He felt that after 7 weeks of training, the dogs should be able to do the Sit, Down, and hold longer stays by now. Not everyone was up to par though and it was troublesome to say the least. He held a diagnostic for the 8 dogs and only 5 could handle the basic commands, but Mitch wasn't as on the mark as she normally is and Makisig wasn't going to do the down at all. Iris, our old dame, is a bit friskier, but she has had too many handlers, she needs one person to work with instead of being passed on to someone else.

I am happy with Hazel working so hard and the instances when Putol and I worked in synchronicity, but I hope today was merely a bump in the road. We all want our dogs to finish this level and move on to better, happier things, like a happy home.

Seguing a bit to my own dog, she's been groomed and sheared of her "winter" er "wet weather" coat. She looks half her size, and has this poof on her head (I didn't ask for it, grrrr). My mother will not recognize her I'm sure.

Death by (pick your poison)

2009-01-23T18:27:00.003+08:00

If I drank 346.2 cans of Coke Zero at my current weight, it could kill me. Likewise, I'd have to drink over 2000 glasses of chocolate milk to push me over the edge. Meanwhile, I'd die a happy death by scooping myself 248.83 cups of Haagen Dazs coffee ice cream.
How would you like to die? Death by Caffeine can help you figure it out.

Day 3: one week later

2009-01-23T10:16:00.003+08:00

After 7 days away from the gym, I went back this morning. Too many excuses this week over not waking up in time meant zero time at the gym, so I went to sleep extra early last night and woke up at 5:45 am to prepare and be ready for the gym before 7 am.

Treadmill, 41 minutes, 3.5 km (200 calories)
Rowing machine, 20 minutes, 4 km (155 calories)
Ab exercises, 20 minutes. 70 crunches/bicycle crunches, 5 plank holds, 10 reps on back exercises.

My left upper thigh and hip still feel sore after last week's experience on the climber.

Read an article that explained in some detail how long haul weight loss has more to do with the diet than exercise, reason being that a diet high in fruits, vegetables, good proteins, healthy fats maintains a body's needs, and is more about the behavior change necessary to remain healthy. Exercise is important, but it causes some people to eat more which translates to higher calorie intake. A holistic doctor also wrote how having too much simple sugars and processed foods in one's diet affects more than just the amount of weight you carry around but the hormonal adjustments as one ages. One female client noticed weird male pattern baldness symptoms as she aged and it was but a matter of changing her diet. But it's all easier said than done. I am eating more fruit, at least 1 apple or pear in the morning, and 5 pieces of kiat-kiats in the afternoon. My veg intake is still infrequent though! I have to make sure I get my fiber intake up, and not through processed edibles.

Line up for half-smokes

2009-01-21T15:31:00.003+08:00

In a post about where to eat in DC, a photo was taken of the lines outside Ben's Chili Bowl, famous for their half-smoke and chili, plus the rule that the only person who eats free at Ben's is Bill Cosby. He was joined recently on that list by the new President and his family. The 50+ year old institution in the heart of U St. district hosted Mr. Obama a few weeks back; he was overheard asking one of the diners what a half-smoke was. Mr. Cosby jokingly complained that the new President dropped the ball on that issue and shouldn't be allowed the free dogs!
Last September, I was staying with friends who live near Adams Morgan, and the U St/Cardozo Metro was one of the easiest stations to get to from their place. On one of our walks around the neighborhood, J recommended I stop by Ben's for a half-smoke when I had free time. There are several places to get the half-smoke in DC, and it is rather amusing that some bloggers think that the only "indigenous" food to the DC area is the half-smoke. Since Ben's is rather famous for their dogs and chili, I was loathe not to try it, being in the neighborhood and all. After a long day out and about, I did go in for a half-smoke with chili, and then had myself a chocolate milkshake. I think it might have been my nostalgic act of always having a shake with my burgers at in-n-out that made me go with the somewhat disastrous combination of hotdog, chilli, and milkshake. Children, listen up. Don't do what I did. It's not good for the tummy, even though flavorwise it sure tasted great. The place was not full, I didn't have any lines to fight my way through, and the server was a nice young woman who helped me figure out what I wanted. I'm glad I don't have to go to DC anytime soon to get a half-smoke, those lines are ridiculous! But if I ever go back to DC, there are some interesting Eritrean restaurants I must go back to try!

Speech! Speech!

2009-01-20T16:54:00.003+08:00

Friends who are lucky enough to be in Washington DC are going to be part of a projected 3 to 4 million people attending the inauguration of Barack Obama, as the 44th President of the United States of America. One friend has promised to share his photos, another will post details of the balls. Friends who are working for US Embassies around the world are going to enjoy the day (or night) celebrating this historic event.

I am reading a witty article that explains the history of Presidential inaugurations, the traditions, the speeches, the color of this day of days, celebrated (or shunned) by millions of American once every four years, betwixt the Olympics and the World Cup. Using historical references, reading every inaugural speech over the last 200 plus years, eyeballing every inaugural photograph taken since that of James Buchanan in 1857, referencing all the traditions that have evolved, the constitutional aspects affecting the event, Ted Widmer writes about how this celebration has renewed the spirit of the American people, or signified, perhaps nothing. My favorite part is his condensation of the theme of a Presidential inauguration speech (and a topic that has been beaten to death of late, with previous speech writers commenting on how and what should be said, what significance may be drawn from one word or another). Simply put, the speech includes the following process:

"1. I am not worthy of this great honor.
2. But I congratulate the people that they elected me.
3. Now we must all come together, even those of us who really hate each other.
4. I love the Constitution, the Union, and George Washington.
5. I will work against bad threats.
6. I will work for good things.
7. We must avoid entangling alliances.
8. America’s strength = democracy.
9. Democracy’s strength = America.
10. Thanks, God."

I also couldn't help but guffaw when I read that President Eisenhower's "God Float" in the parade looked like a deformed molar from a dental exhibit.

But the article, written before the second inauguration of President Bush in 2005, has it's solemn moments, reminding us all how words and actions don't always mesh. To paraphrase George Orwell, democracy does not whitewash injustice, does not condone complacency in the face of evil. The inauguration, tonight or those in the future, should be the basis for holding those in power accountable to their words. A promise for a better tomorrow.

Week 6: Heel, plus agility tests

2009-01-18T16:38:00.003+08:00

What a packed day of lessons!
Before going into all the details of the class, I found out that Hazel had been adopted. Good for her, and doubly wonderful is that her new owner, Jon, is going to continue her training. We met up at the training session and he's willing to keep her through the training program until she graduates. We'll also plan to hold some extra training sessions at his home so she can be ready to do the major exercises JI has planned to graduate both dog and trainer.
As for what we learned today, we had to train our dogs to heel, which is not just about keeping the dog by our side, but training the dog to maintain eye contact in motion. We walked with the dog by our left side, fed at a regular interval so long as the dog stayed next to us (always at the left) and didn't break from the exercise. The point of teaching a dog to heel is to avoid having a dog go off on its own, to smell another dog or approach another person while out and about in a crowded situation. JI explained that when the military trained dogs, they kept the dog on the left side since they had to have their right hands free (guns were usually hung at the right hip). The dog is in a somewhat uncomfortable position in a heel, they are expected to focus on their walker/trainer/owner while walking, their heads turned upward to the right, keeping contact with their person.
Most of our dogs are now well socialized, with few cases of complete insubordination (!), so they took to the Heel training relatively well. We didn't have a case where the dog didn't follow, but it did happen that one dog tried to herd her walker until JI told the trainer not to let the dog choose the direction of the path. If a dog tries to jump ahead of the trainer during the Heel, use the left knee to stop that behavior. Also, he told us to call the dog to Heel before any turns, otherwise you lose the attention of your dog.
I was working with Hazel alongside her new owner, and it took awhile for her to get a sense of what we were doing, since she is still learning to bond with Jon. He also had to pick up the philosophy of the clicker training all in one morning. He was sort of thrown into the puddle but managed quite well by the end of the morning.
The next major lesson we worked on was agility training. JI brought in hurdles, a tire and a tunnel, which we were taught to use to get the dogs to jump over or through, or run/walk through. It was lots of fun to get the dogs to hop over the hurdles or try to get them to jump through the tire (we skipped this exercise since Hazel's head isn't past the tire's lower run, she's energetic but not ready for this yet). The tunnel took a bit of work, since dogs don't like having something that hangs over their heads; Hazel took time and several repeated runs before she had the courage to go through the tunnel. But when JI was observing her at this, she balked! We had to shorten the tunnel and lure her through again, only to fail at the last walk through. She was pooped, poor thing, and so were we all. Several of the dogs just plopped down after all this work, only attempting to beg for some of the chicken sandwiches we had for lunch, but with less exuberance than they normally do before the exercise.
Tiring day, full day, we're moving forward towards graduating the dogs in a month, and it's an exciting but scary plan. If the dog or the trainer fail, then we have to keep at it until JI evaluates us to have passed the course. We have a month to get the dogs to do all of the ff: a one minute sit stay, a three minute down stay (oh no, this is the one that is going to be the harder command for Hazel), a 5 minute bed stay, walking loosely on leash, the Come command, and Heel. The sit and bed isn't going to be too hard for Hazel, what will be the focus of our training will be to work on the Down, and to improve her leash walk since she's got a stubborn streak.

Chocolate dreams

2009-01-16T00:55:00.004+08:00

The last two days have seen me in more than my usual share of supermarkets, delis and food purveyor stores. Tonight I was at another large supermarket, pushing my cart up and down the aisles, picking up fresh vegetables, pantry staples, and some necessities to keep the cat happy. Usually, I'll spend a few seconds checking if the Haagen-Dazs freezer has coffee or hoping against hope they'll bring back vanilla fudge. Tonight what really made me stop and lust was the well stocked Lindt display. Not just the typical bars of milk chocolate and white chocolate, but they had several of the dark chocolates (Madagasgar, 60%cacao for example), and orange infused chocolates, plus one bar on the bottom shelf infused with almonds. My mind raced thinking how I'd use the different flavors, my hand hovering over one choice over another. Truffles using the dark chocolate and maybe the white chocolate bar, or maybe add chips from the orange chocolate bar to some cookie dough, or maybe some of the small bars so I can nibble when I'm feeling blue...

On NPR, Kitchen Windows has an article about the Spanish obsession with chocolate. One of the brands given page time is Valor, a good spanish chocolate label, easily found locally at Terry's. But I don't think I've seen the bonbons sold locally, I wonder what the vinegar and chocolate flavor would taste like? It's unlikely they'd use something as harsh as a sinumak! The cream of chocolate recipe sounds easy and wonderfully rich, I know what to serve some friends this February for brunch. Or maybe I can make the whipped chocolate spread to go with some hearty toasted bread, just as they do in an Argentinian hotel I read about. Life's not always like a box of chocolates, I prefer making it a part of my life.

Day 2

2009-01-15T12:03:00.002+08:00

Day two at the gym - 10 minutes on a step-climber that was painful and not at all what I had expected. I got on it thinking it was an elliptical trainer, but found myself painfully trying to stay in momentum. I don't like this machine at all! And now my left hip/buttock hurts like a muscle was pulled. Keeping far from that contraption from now on.
Moved on to the treadmill for 40 minutes, 3 km completed, with an incline of 5 (not sure how that translates). Forgot to check calorie count, but was far more pooped out this time around.
Lunges and squats - 40 reps each
shoulder and biceps - 30 reps each
Crunches on ball - 50 reps

The walk to work was pleasant, more sunshine today than yesterday, and a lot more humidity.

Resolution number 1

2009-01-14T13:46:00.002+08:00

Resume workout. After 22 months of avoiding the lockers of a gym, I've resumed attending to my health. Today was day one! Along with writing about the dog training, this blog better be put to some use helping me get healthier, instead of being my navel gazing forum. Love my navel and happy I can still see past it to my toes, but better that I stop having to suck in my gut to see my toes.

Exercise detail:
35 minutes - treadmill, 3 km (reminder - bring pedometer)
12 minutes - rowing machine
Estimated calorie burned up - 250

Weights - arms and chest. 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
Crunches - 50 reps

After the workout, I took a 22 minute walk to work, through Glorietta, Greenbelt and the Ayala triangle. A lot of changes in the area, with two new buildings where old parking lots used to be. In Glorietta 5, they've placed Luk Yuen next to North Park with Chowking right on top of them both. Sort of a triumverate of cheap chinese food, MSG billowing out towards the customers. National Bookstore is moving to the new Glorietta 5 building, this signals somethings afoot with fixing up Glorietta 1 and 2, starting with the area that blew up/exploded/place your government conspiracy excuse here.

Things I like about the gym - not crowded, the bathroom is well stocked with fluffy towels, and a nice pepperminty shower gel. Plus the machines have those individual tv connections, so I can watch any cable channel I feel like for the time I'm huffing and puffing on the treadmill.

Week 5, free hazel free

2009-01-11T19:39:00.002+08:00

The Sunday training sessions are averaging 4 hours a day, sometimes 5 like today. It isn't all about lectures, running the dog, or watching and commenting on how the lessons go, but it does take time and I end up at home close to 4 pm and weary. And wanting a donut. Yay for Krispy Kreme on days like today.

So we had to learn how to keep the dogs in a Stay position, specifically the Sit and Down. Basically the Stay command isn't a command, but a discipline. The dog remains in either a Sit or a Down position, and given several factors (duration, the distance the trainer moves away from the dog, and environmental distractions), the dog Stays (hence the term) until it has been released. It was also evident why we had been told to use the word Free when we wanted the dog to break the position. The Stay command is more an aggregate of whatever position you are requiring of the dog, the factors you put into play, and the release command (Free). There were some things that seemed a bit confusing to me. JI said that we were not to complicate or confuse our dogs by teaching them to stay for a length of time and add distance by walking away. However, it eventually was evident that duration and distance are closely knit. You hopefully get the dog to hold a position, learn patience by remaining as they were, and by adding a couple of movements on your end away from them, they must focus on a stillness that is not inherent to their nature. The distractions today were numerous, but at least Hazel showed fortitude in the face of other noises going on. I was very happy with her progress today even though we didn't get any time during the week. My plans today had included an hour with her before everyone else showed up but I woke up too late to put that into motion, so I spent 10 minutes with her offleash in the court while the other dogs went on their run.

However, my partnership with the puppy may be at an end. Germaine, one of the other puppies was adopted last week; his handler wants another puppy and has her eyes on Hazel. I think it might be good to have Hazel socialize with her and I can move on to a more problematic dog, like Putol. We'll see how that goes next Sunday.

JI said our graduation exercise will be a test of how good we train our dogs to stay, eeps! If I move to another dog, it won't be easy to get it to the level it needs but I shall try.

Lettuce and more lettuce

2009-01-08T22:04:00.003+08:00

My sister returned from her new year foray in Baguio and dumped bags of lettuce on my doorstep. Am I a rabbit? Do I look like one to her? What am I going to do with kilos of lettuce? I gave some of the bounty away (thanks to friends J and C, and my cousin), but it still left me with a couple of bags of lola rosa and butter lettuce left. I went through online resources, munching on a salad for inspiration, and went to work. For my first lettuce meal, I crisped up two thin medallions of pork (originally meant for tonkatsu) in the broiler. When they were cooked and crispy, I chopped them into squares, strew them into the washed and dried lettuce, and tossed the salad with a pesto vinaigrette (basil pesto, lemon juice, a dash of sugar, and some paprika). The pork added a crunch to the salad, like croutons.

Tonight I was perusing Tastespotting and saw a simple coleslaw recipe. The blogger used cabbage, vinegar and salt to taste. I figured I needed to use up a head of lettuce, so I rough chopped the leftover 3/4 head of cabbage I had in my crisper, threw in the ribbons of butter lettuce, squeezed several cloves of roasted garlic, a swig of sesame oil, a glug of mirin, some honey, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper, and a glug of fish sauce with a pinch of ginger powder. Toss well. It's a light and pleasant salad. Zingy.

Travel track down

2009-01-08T14:17:00.002+08:00

Since 2001 travelling to the US has seemed at times more hassle than its worth. I know of friends who have decided not to renew their visas or have simply announced never to travel to America, ever. The stress over applying for a visa, the interview, the cost, then the security at the border, plus the sense of is it worth all this trouble just to give your child a chance to see Mickey Mouse in person or to stand in line to enter the Statue of Liberty?

Last September I flew back to the US for a month of railroad travel, and had read about the problems some travellers encountered at the border, when their computers, cameras, blackberries, even ipods were taken from them by the customs officials and weren't returned to them for reasons of security. There was an article of one American traveller who didn't get his laptop back for a month, who wrote that colleagues of his from other countries didn't get their equipment returned even after 3 months had passed and innumerable queries from their company had been sent to Homeland Security. I chose not to bring too many electronic items with me, but it would still have been intolerable to have to turn over my camera if they demanded it. There's little you can do, there are laws they can use against a traveller, and it's not easy to recall one's rights at moments of stress.

An article I came across today also highlights the efforts of the US government to track both their citizens and other nationals when crossing into US soil. The writer, Sean O'Neill, explains that all border crossings are sent to DHS and files of all citizens are kept for up to 15 years.

"The commercial airlines send these passenger records to Customs and Border Protection, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security. Computers match the information with the databases of federal departments, such as Treasury, Agriculture, and Homeland Security. Computers uncover links between known and previously unidentified terrorists or terrorist suspects, as well as suspicious or irregular travel patterns. Some of this information comes from foreign governments and law enforcement agencies. The data is also crosschecked with American state and local law enforcement agencies, which are tracking persons who have warrants out for their arrest or who are under restraining orders. The data is used not only to fight terrorism but also to prevent and combat acts of organized crime and other illegal activity."

For identity security, the concern lies in the massive undertaking of tracking down the millions of Americans and international travellers who enter and exit the borders each year, managing all this data, and avoiding a security leak that would put at risk all these people's data if it were to be used by criminals. It's a scenario fit for an espionage thriller, with an crazed criminal using all our details for monetary gain or worse. I'm not sure there's a hero capable enough to keep something like that at bay.

Limey

2009-01-07T21:07:00.002+08:00

This week is turning into a botanical lesson, I've just learned of two varieties of limes that I had never heard of before.
The first is the finger lime, a elongated citrus fruit that grows in Australia, the fruit looks more like a tiny zucchini, and the pulp looks like caviar! They have grown fingerlimes in different colors, from eggplant purple to red to green, and the pebbly looking pulp also comes in a variety of colors, some of the combinations look like a Shanghai Tang mao jacket.
Today, I came across this article about the Rangpur lime, a variety grown in India, with a bright orange pulp. It's supposedly a hybrid between a mandarin orange and a lime, with tart flesh, a "smoky" essence, and a lot of juice.
Since I am currently trying to preserve some of the limes friends gave me for xmas, it seems like everywhere I turn, someone's talking limes.

Happy accidents

2009-01-06T20:15:00.002+08:00

Sometimes the best things in life are complete mistakes. I've had my fair share of bad baking/cooking scenarios, and lately all the breads I've been trying to bake have either fallen flat, or turned into loaves of cement. Just yesterday, a simple thing like making plain steamed rice bit me in the ass, and instead of a well cooked pot of rice, I ended up with soggy rice in the bottom and crusty, undercooked kernels above. Argh. Today, not in the mood to cook, but having to clean out my fridge, I pulled out a bowl of chocolate chip cookie dough I had made on Sunday, and found the dough to be too hard to even shape. It was so hard that when I tried to poke at it with a fork, a chip flew out and bonked me in the nose. So I petulantly stuck the bowl in the microwave to warm the darn thing up. Unfortunately I put it in too long, and by the time I got it out, the chips had melted into the dough, uh oh. Would it bake? Was there any reprieve for my impatience? I put a few spoonfuls into my turbo on a round cookie pan I threw together, and hoped for the best (at 375 degrees celsius for 12 minutes). The smell of baking cookies lifted my mood, and I gulped down a glass of milk in anticipation, oh the wafting aroma of chocolate, how I heart thee.
When I lifted the pucks from the pan and let it cool a bit, I thought these are not going to win a cookie beauty contest, but they seem like they baked right. After jogging in place for a minute while they cooled, I finally grabbed a small cookie, and oh heaven. Accidents do happen, and when they do, stick them in the oven and bake for a bit. Who knows what glory will pop out to turn your mood around?

It's all chinese to me

2009-01-06T09:34:00.003+08:00

Caught sight of this on the side of the road: two mannequins dressed up in ninja costumes (all black, long sleeves, a mask covering the lower half of the face and most of the head), with what looked like a plastic sword sticking out the back. Wearing red sashes that read, in both chinese characters and pinyin (this refers to the alphabetization of chinese characters), Happy Chinese New Year. I so want to stop by them one day and plunk a glittery tiara on one of their heads.

My friend is organizing a chinese new year dinner and has been asking what day to hold the dinner. She asked if it would be wrong to hold the dinner on the day of the chinese new year, since she thought it was a day to fast among the chinese community. Fast? Chinese people??? Unless they're monks cleansing themselves for physiological reasons, I can't recall ever hearing of any Chinese group that fasts, especially the new year. I pulled out my handbook on chinese traditions (ie my father) and sent her the list of traditional activities for celebrating the new year. And I don't see anything about fasting on it!

Day 1 welcomes the gods of the heavens and earth; some folks will abstain from eating meat to ensure long life. No fasting.

Day 2, pray to the ancestors as well as to all the gods. Be kind to dogs and feed them well as it is believed that the second day is the birthday of all dogs (strangely enough, a lot of older gen chinese folks are not too dog friendly, I wonder why...).

Days 3 and 4 are for sons-in-laws to pay respect to their parents-in-law.

On Day 5 people stay home to welcome the God of Wealth. No one visits families and friends on this day because it will bring both parties bad luck.

From the sixth to the tenth day, the Chinese visit their relatives and friends freely. They also visit the temples to pray for good fortune and health. Feasting at every stop, since no wants to be seen as too cheap to forget feeding the visitors.

The seventh day of the New Year is the day for farmers to display their produce. A juice from seven types of vegetables celebrates the bounty of the season; which is somewhat contradictory to normal Chinese weather patterns - it's the dead of winter, and farmers have to come up with their produce?? and juice 7 vegies?? It boggles the mind. The seventh day is also considered the birthday of human beings (all humans? even the ones born the day before? This one still befuddles me.). Uncut noodles are eaten to promote longevity and raw fish for success (the word for fish - yu - is a homonym to a word that refers to success).

On the eighth day the residents of Fujian province hold another family reunion dinner, and at midnight they pray to Tian Gong, the God of Heaven. No idea if the folks in Guangdong, Hubei, Shandong are just twiddling their fingers waiting for the Fujianese to finish up, or they could all still be visiting more family and friends.

The ninth day is to make offerings to the Jade Emperor.

Days 10 to 12 are intended for dinners with friends and relatives; rather than traipsing around visiting them and being fed, it's your turn to host!
By the 13th day and unable to stand anymore rich foods, cleanse your system with rice soup (zhou, congee) and mustard greens. This is as close to a fast as it gets. But you're still eating.

The 14th day is to prepare for the big night: Lantern Festival, held on the 15th night.

Week 4, Spot, Come

2009-01-05T21:09:00.002+08:00

Oh boy, not only did we get at least 9 rules to remember, but we also had to try to teach two commands. One was to train the dog to touch an object with it's nose or to come close to it (one of the ways of training the dog is known as Shaping, rewarding the dog for approaching an object or performing an action incrementally, until the dog has completed the process). It took us a long time to get the dogs, particularly Mitch, who was not too keen on the object we first chose for her - an empty water bottle. It worked a bit better when we tried the frisbee, and one of the puppies, Germaine, took to it very quickly. Hazel only had a short couple of minutes to learn this and I don't think she understood the reason I was trying to feed her from the frisbee! She eventually got the idea that she was going to be given a treat when she looked at the frisbee, but we didn't get to the point where she was voluntarily touching the frisbee with her nose, I was still having to waggle the disk before she'd even glance at it.

She did a lot better when we used her to teach the command Come. JI explained that there are three deal breaking commands - come to me, go away, and stay wherever I tell you to. I sort of wonder why we didn't learn these right away, but perhaps they are the hardest level of commands and we needed the weeks to bond with our dogs first. Hazel still pulls on the leash and there's not much I can do to control her when she's got it in her head to go wherever she feels like. Maybe I'm not the right person for her. I feel sad thinking I could be creating more problems for her in the long run. She is sitting on command now, either with a word or the index finger. She has had a couple of problems going into the crate especially when she senses she's going to be in there without any of the other dogs around. She has no problems with the bed, but still needs to learn how to stay on the bed after she's received her treat. If she's to 'graduate' from the program, we're going to have to do a lot more morning sessions.

Goals for the week - work with Hazel at least 2x this week, focus on the bond, spot command, and build up crate training.

My gratitude list for the past year

2009-01-03T10:04:00.002+08:00

Things I am grateful for experiencing in the last 12 months:

1. The continued presence of my family. Both my parents suffered from poor health, but they're much stronger than they seem. They are still walking around, nagging us to death.
a. a subset to this point is that a good friend is now working at MMC and he helped me several times when we needed help with getting rooms at the hospital.

2. Longstanding friendships, some of whom are not physically nearby but continue to stay in touch even through separation of distance and time. I am also grateful for meeting a host of new friends through similar interests in food or blogging or dog training.

3. The lack of natural disasters - no super typhoons, no earthquakes, no tsunamis, no droughts. The year may have been tumultuous in so many other places and in so many other ways, but Manila survived another year with few hits compared to years past.

4. Working through tough times. I'm glad I can still work, still pay my rent, feed myself (and the pets), and donate things to others who need it more than I do.

5. The new dog, who is a bundle of curly, cinnamonny fur, bouncy joy. She makes my mother happy, even brings a smile to my dad's face, and has helped my nervous ninny of a niece get over her fear of animals.

6. The opportunities to eat great meals, not just here, but in Thailand, in Hong Kong, in the US.

7. Travel! A new passport is getting stamped with ports of entry and exit. Nothing is sadder than a passport that never gets used.

8. Podcasts. I have had an ipod for two years, and only began downloading free podcasts this year. What a joy to have such a resource during downtime, waiting in line at the bank, or stuck in traffic, or people watching in a cafe. Plug in the earphones and listen to something new.

9. New pair of shoes.

10. Chocolates in Manila. Not the waxy stuff either, real couverture stuff.

And even though the year is also one of loss, of saying goodbye to a relationship, of ending a job, of reducing the material items in life, I am thankful for the experience of having had the time with all those people and things.

The new jellybeans

2008-12-31T18:16:00.003+08:00

Ronald Reagan made jelly beans the candy du jour, boosted Jelly Belly's company profile and made it a globally consumed item, great for packing in one's balikbayan box. For the Obama generation, I forecast the President-elect's favorite salted caramel chocolates from Fran's chocolates in Seattle, will be the food legacy of his government. New York Times has an article explaining the stages of mass consumption of this somewhat esoteric sweet, but salted caramels are now in Walmart, so it's definitely mass market. I haven't seen it hit Filipino stores yet (when will Starbucks bring over the salted caramel hot chocolate???), but I look forward to seeing it featured. I have had to savor the small bag of salted caramels I bought from the cheese store in the States, but that's only going to last a week or less. I could make it, but..

Sweet and spicy

2008-12-31T12:29:00.003+08:00

The blog, Wandering Chopsticks, is a great resource for Vietnamese/Indochinese/Pan-asian recipes and for all her tips and reviews of restaurants in California. Two weeks ago I had read her post on how to make a Laotian pork larb, a spicy sauteed pork with herbs dish served with cabbage or sticky rice. Larb (also spelled larp, laab, laap) is also found in many Thai restaurant menus, and can range from mildly spicy to searingly hot, depending on the intensity of the fish sauce, nuoc mam, used in the mix. Wandering Chopsticks broke down the recipe into three parts: the toasted rice powder, the nuoc mam, and then the larb itself. The individual parts make for a fantastic whole, and I put it all together with some tweaking based on what ingredients I found locally.

There was no problem toasting and grinding the rice, and a half cup of jasmine rice makes enough toasted powder to store for other dishes. I did adjust the nuoc mam by adding bagoong balayan (the intensely fishy fermented sauce) to the mix - a couple of teaspoons of that along with patis (local fish sauce), a dash of sugar, a paste of Thai chillis and garlic, a teaspoon of vinegar, and a squeeze of calamansi - that should suffice to spice up the ground pork! I browned half a kilo of ground pork, drained it in the sink to remove as much of the pork juice, added the nuoc mam to the pork and spooned the meat onto the serving plate. Two tablespoons of the rice powder soaks up some of the moisture remaining in the meat, but also adds a lovely nutty flavor to the dish. Chopped up some thai chillis (yes for extra heat), a light chiffonade of coriander leaves and basil (I searched for mint but was unsuccessful), and a wedge of raw cabbage to scoop the tasty pork salad. This is a favorite for sure. Easy to make, and relatively healthy. For non-pork eaters, use ground turkey or chicken or maybe a seafood of choice.

From heat to sweet, I had to throw together a mango dessert for a party, and was not as well prepared as I should have been. For one, I didn't have the main ingredient! I dashed off to Farmer's Market early on a Saturday morning, grabbed a kilo of mangoes, and a bag of otap biscuits (a local flaky sugary biscuit). Since the dessert needed to be frozen, I was hoping that a few hours would suffice, but had doubts it would be firm enough to serve properly. The recipe I was using came from my friend I, who couldn't be at the party, and I was making the recipe so she'd be there in spirit (and in our tummy, which is a rather odd thing to want, but hey, it's to share our annual gathering with her in some fashion). She normally makes this dessert with crushed graham crackers and cream and condensed milk. I did make changes - first otap vs graham crackers, and the addition of pastillas to the cream. It turned into a tres leches (three milk) dessert - all purpose cream, a can of condensed milk, and mashed up pastillas blended together to make a very thick custard. It's basically a layered dessert, the crushed biscuits, topped with the mangos and then smothered in the custard. Repeat until it's high enough for the container, then stick into a freezer for a few hours. Preferably overnight to firm it up, but in this case, we managed with about 4 hours of freeze. I was pleased how the flaky crushed otaps worked with the sweet mangoes and creaminess of the custard. And the addition of the pastillas does take the dessert a bit over the top, but was totally worth it. Now why hasn't anyone made mango flavored pastillas candies?? It would work I tell you!

With a full tummy, good friends, healthy family members, I look forward to 2009, and put all the challenges of 2008 behind me.

Lady luck

2008-12-30T21:37:00.003+08:00

My friend Cam and I tried something neither of us had ever done before, we played the lotto. Now, I've bet on the lottery in the US before, it's relatively straight forward, either choose numbers or have the machine do it for you; the other option is a scratch card, typically get three of the same numbers or prizes and that's the prize you win for that card. The local lottery, however, seemed to be a bit more complicated and I had never attempted it. Cam and I figured we'd test our luck for fun, after having a nice long massage over the holidays.

We went to a Lotto office, and saw the long lines and people filling out cards. We hadn't been sure of the choices, but one of Cam's masseuses told us how to play the easiest option, EZ2: choose two numbers and bet P10. She said that December 29 was the festival day of her town, so she asked us to bet 12-29 for her. We got an EZ2 card and started reading the directions. Boy, they sure make the rules a lot more complicated than it seems! We had to read it a few times, ask help from one fellow standing in line and even got directions from the ladies tending to the bets. Yikes!

We filled out an EZ2 card, bet P20, one for the masseuse and one for ourselves. Then we figured we'd go all out and try the Power Lotto! The big daddy of the lottery, if you get all 5 numbers plus another lucky number right, you win P50million! We definitely got a bit confused about that one, had to void a couple of the panels since we thought we were supposed to choose 6 numbers. And then we forgot to choose a lucky number and the ladies had to tell us to choose them before paying. Since the Power Lotto is a bigger pot, we had to pay more for it too. Two sets of numbers cost us P100 or P50 for each bet. Our total layout - P120.

The EZ2 is staged everyday, actually I discovered there's a 2 pm draw and a 9 pm draw! Wow, that's a lot of betting going on, and all for a pot of P4000. The Power Lotto is only drawn every Tuesday, but there are some variable lottos drawn on a daily basis (some require 4 numbers, some 6 numbers, a whoozy choice). Anyway, as of tonight, none of the bets we made came up as the winning set. It was an interesting experience and not too expensive, but I'm not going to be standing in line everyday to bet a tenner or a fifty once a week to try my luck.

Fusion food

2008-12-29T22:07:00.002+08:00

Wandering through supermarket aisles may be considered odd by some, but I admit to doing my fair share. I especially enjoy taking tours of supermarkets or drug stores or even hardware stores in countries I travel to for the first time. It can tell you a lot about the local culture, not to mention finding items you are familiar with at home, stocked in a supermarket thousands of miles away; it helps with any homesickness you feel when travelling.

Taking in the wares at Rustan's supermarkets over the holidays I noticed they've added a whole selection of French imports. I perused the packaged foods, noted a lot of coucous and herbs for cooking couscous, chestnut spreads, sea salt from Guerande, Riz d'Or bouillon cubes, and.. wait... El Paso Guacamole??? Er, ok, so it has some french words on it, but when did a product with Tex-mex roots become a French import? I guess since it sat next to the Harisa herbs for couscous, french cuisine is no longer xenophobic, at least not here in Asia.

PAWS Week 3

2008-12-28T16:28:00.002+08:00

10 am to 2:30 pm. Ran with Hazel in La Vista for 30 minutes, noticed she was willing to do a sit a couple of times when the other dogs were not around.
JI gave us instructions on beginning crate training (getting the dog to go into the crate using a treat and clicker), and how to get the dogs to go into a down position (belly down on the ground, as well as all four paws). We were also taught how to use a tug toy.
Finally got Hazel to do sits with the help of treats, but getting her to do a Down was much harder. JI had to show me a scooping/bowling motion to get her used to the idea of going down on her belly. But it's still not a total success. She is getting used to the idea of sitting to get her treat, and when I used the dog bed, she climbed up on the bed, sat, and stayed for a bit before I gave her the release. As for the crate training, we did succeed in having her climb in a few times with the help of the liver treat, but she doesn't like going in her crate when we have to put them in it during the ride back to the shelter. Maybe she knows she won't be able to play? She's trainable, but she is very distracted, she loves new smells, reminds me of a detective, blood-hound puppy!!!

Objective for the week - work on the down, and keep working on the bond with the puppy.

Gullibility or why we never learn from history

2008-12-26T22:19:00.003+08:00

"The real mystery in the Madoff story is not how naïve individual investors such as myself would think the investment safe, but how the risks and warning signs could have been ignored by so many financially knowledgeable people, ranging from the adviser who sold me and my sister (and himself) on the investment, to the highly compensated executives who ran the various feeder funds that kept the Madoff ship afloat."

A snippet from an interesting article (Fooled by Ponzi and Madoff) about gullibility, Ponzi schemes, and other forms of fraud by Stephen Greenspan (as he noted down, he is not related to ex-Fed Chairman Alan Greenspan), professor and writer on topics such as human gullibility, who fell victim to the recent Madoff scheme.

Written from the perspective of a victim, he breaks down why humans fall prey to these forms of dubious financial transactions. The writer explains that there are four primary factors involved in why people invest - situation, cognition, personality and emotion - and the historical big picture of international scams (other than Ponzi) that feed on human gullibility. Or perhaps we forget basic greed is all part of it.

I had two reactions to reading this article: when I opened my email this morning, I received a message from someone "G.O" who was willing to purchase a piece of jewelry that I posted on a seemingly respectable auction board, G.O. said he'd send the money through his bank, then demanded I send him my bank details (swift code etc). Alarm bells went off and I emailed back that there was no way I would send those details and I was listing him as a spammer. A second email later in the day from a trusted friend warned several of us of a sheep in wolf's clothing; I wrote back that I hadn't picked up any diabolical vibes from the person, but as I read Mr. Greenspan's article I realized that part of it was that I had fallen into the trap of at least two of the factors, specifically situation. We had been introduced by a trusted friend and respected community leader, and the setting was one where we wouldn't suspect the person of any nefarious doings in his past.

Sides

2008-12-23T21:31:00.004+08:00

When I hosted my friend S way back in the 1990's for her first visit to the Philippines, she was aghast at how much we used sauces, dousing our foods in ketchup or soy sauce or patis with garlic or chilli. Having lived in China for more than a year by then, she could see the similarities and influences, but she didn't quite understand why there was a need to add a layer of flavor to something.

I think of S at times when having a meal and mixing up a side sauce, usually soy sauce or fish sauce, a paste of garlic or a squeeze of calamansi. When I know something might be a bit on the bland side, a crushed Thai bird-eye chilli always helps. For a simple meal of tofu and rice, I mix sesame oil, ginger and a light soy sauce to keep me from losing interest in what I am eating. I guess a good side sauce is to highlight flavors or textures and to avoid gustatory malcontentment.

Inspired by a recent online recipe for nuoc mam, the Vietnamese fish sauce spiced with chillis and herbs, I ground a paste of garlic and a Thai bird-eye chilli with some salt, added it to a liquid blend of fish bagoong (that uber-pungent fermented soup, which looks less than appetizing in its grey sludge), patis (yes, that's three sources of salt), vinegar, calamansi, and a fresh jalapeno sliced in two. So that makes three salty flavors, two spices, and two souring agents. Oh and don't forget the garlic. I left the blend in the refrigerator overnight and tested it on my dinner of sauteed pork and rice. It's hot, salty but doesn't make my mouth itch, and savoury. This could be addicting.

PAWS Sunday training, weeks 1 and 2

2008-12-22T10:08:00.003+08:00

(Am taking part in a Sunday stray dog rehabilitation training, ten weeks of working with rescued dogs at the PAWS shelter. Have had two Sunday sessions and was told to start logging in a diary/journal.)

Week 1, December 14. Worked with two dogs - Makisig and Hermione. Makisig is an adult male, stocky, brown. Pulls like heck and not interested in walking straight, leans a lot. Hermione is about 6 to 8 months old, has some beagle mix I think. She responds to food, but doesn't like to be petted, and has to be on leash at all times. Session covered basic bonding with dog using food and clicker, learned how to use the clicker properly (dog must be facing you when you click, 1.5 secs to give treat. Positive reinforcement). JI gave us top three tips working with dogs - consistency, timing, and one other thing, ack. Especially important with the rescued dogs, to rebuild (or start building) a bond with the dogs, gain level of trust.
Attempted to learn luring to teach dog how to sit. Hermione managed one sit, but no further. Very distracted by everything in the grass, the other dogs. Treat used - hotdogs - should cut them up instead of squishing them out of casing.

Visited Hermione on Wed 7 am before she was fed. We walked around grass lot, used peanut butter on disposable chopstick as treat, but she remained really distracted. No sit again.

Week 2, December 21. Hermione is limping, left rear leg. Poor thing has to be put into the cage again. Took Hazel out, another puppy, 6 months perhaps. She's very energetic, ok with petting and carrying, and has the shortest attention span!!!! Did the run with her, after awhile all she wanted to do was roll around on the leafy sidewalks of the village. During training session, she did a lot better with bonding - cheese snacks. Picked up on her name better too. Had to move to hotdog treats for the sit though. She managed two sits (yay), but no interest in the ball. Is pretty good in the crate, doesn't hate it like the other puppy. She and Gervi not getting along, antagonistic.
Completed lessons - clicker/food, sit. Only did one session on the dog bed.

Plane update

2008-12-19T18:20:00.002+08:00

Over lunch, friend M asked me "Is this filling up a plane on KLM real?" I shrugged, said I think so. I also mentioned I didn't think people really signed up for it, I might be the only one flying in my plane. Then she told me that she tried to get a "seat" on my plane but was informed it was full. Huh? We tried to make some baseless guesses on how many seats there were in the plane and who I sent invites to, etc. All random nonsense, but today I did check the site, and she was right, the plane, all 99 seats plus mine are full. But to be honest, I only recognized a handful of the names, the rest are all ambiguous "New Passenger" or folks who I wouldn't know from Adam. Hmmm. Do I need a skymarshall???

Ok, KLM, what's the prize for the most clueless flight filler?