A Box of Jalapeños

Our Snugglebaby - Buttons

2011-10-11T08:53:00.004+09:00

I am so happy we got a loving, cuddly dog from my friend, Imelda (who owns an animal shelter). Buttons just loves getting hugs and cuddles whenever she can get them.

Here's her cuddling with our Billy Boy.

And here's Buttons cuddling with Daddy...

In the daytime, Buttons is everyone's dog. But at night, she becomes Daddy's girl and wants to snuggle with him exclusively.

Ahhhh... love. <3

Hubby's Birthday Cheesecake

2011-10-10T23:51:00.004+09:00

Today, hubby went to lunch with the president of Far East University and other professors who were celebrating their birthdays this month. They went to a nice Korean Bulgogi restaurant and hubby came home with this Cheesecake from the local bakery - Paris Baguette.

I love my hubby's university. :)

Would You Like Some Chim?

2011-10-10T12:56:00.002+09:00

"Chim" in Korea is acupuncture. I discovered the merits of acupuncture when I hurt my back a few years ago and our good taxi driver friend, Mr. Lee, took me to his favorite Oriental clinic. Even if it was a back problem, the acupuncturists stuck the pins in my foot and leg. I think it had to do with the chi points in the body.

And when my sprained my foot badly early this year, I decided to go to an acupuncturist on my own. There was an Oriental clinic near hubby's previous place of employment, (right near our youngest son's school). I went in and the friendly lady doctor proceeded to stick several pins in my foot, leg and hand. The thing is, you need to let the needles stay in for some time (about 20 minutes) under a heat lamp.

My sprain was bad enough to warrant bloodletting. Yup, you heard me. They took blood out of my sprained foot. The doctor mentioned something about 'bad blood' stuck in the foot and releasing it will facilitate healing. I forgot the Korean name for this practice but I shrugged and told them to go ahead. It hurt!!! Not the bloodletting part but the dozen of puncture marks they made to make the blood come out.

Then the doctor took some heated glass globules and stuck them onto the punctured skin. She used a pump to draw out the air inside the glass bell and in turn, the vacuum drew out the blood. I must say, it made for a very weird experience. But you know what? My foot felt better after 3 days.

Chestnuts Roasting in the Open Air....

2011-10-10T12:43:00.002+09:00

What's the sign that Christmas is near for you? For us in the Philippines, it's the hint of chilly air in the morning, the white egrets and cranes roosting on the power lines (having migrated from the chilly place they used to live) and the smell of chestnuts roasting by the street side.

I love chestnuts. I, for one, would pay an arm and a leg to buy a bag of these delicious, hot morsels of goodness. My mom even said that her pregnancy cravings when she was carrying me in her womb were chestnuts (hence my dark, roasted appearance). I would love seeing chestnuts rolling around and around with those black pebbles in a huge vat, smelling the buttery goodness as they cook.

I was fortunate to find the same way of roasting chestnuts here in Korea. And I don't have to wait until Christmas to get them. In Korea, anytime there's a festival or celebration, the chestnut vendors come to town. And I get my hot bag of nuts to peel and munch every time. Of course, it's extra special in the winter as the heat from the bag helps warm my cold, frozen hands.

Korean Ear Muffs

2011-10-10T12:38:00.003+09:00

Winter is coming and aside from jackets, thermals, scarves and hats, guess what else will be in season? Earmuffs! I love these whimsical ones, modeled by a former student of hubby's. Aren't they so cute? Squee!

Savory, Scrumptious Suji's

2011-06-06T18:57:00.014+09:00

By a stroke of luck, I was given a complimentary dinner for two at New York style-restaurant/deli Suji's Seoul. The tagline for Suji's is "the next best thing to mom's home-cooking." Since today was a holiday (Memorial Day in Korea), we left the boys at home (with plenty of food) and traveled to Itaewon to have a long-awaited dinner date.

We got to Suji's restaurant during the lunch hour madness. There was a long queue from the 2nd floor waiting area down the steps to the first floor. That was a good sign since if people were willing to line up for a long wait, the food must really be special. I talked with the manager, Ian Kim and made arrangements for lunch. Sure enough, we were already reserved a table. Too bad Ian wasn't there (I later learned he was down with the flu) but he left us in the very capable hands of his 2nd right-hand man, Kyu.

We were seated by the window and it was nice and cozy. The seats were really comfy as we sank down really low when we sat. Looking out of the window, I could see the former building of the Philippine Embassy (it has moved somewhere else in Itaewon now).

The paper table mats had whimsical designs on it. Almost made me want to ask for crayons to color the animals with but I resisted the urge. :)

Looking around the restaurant, it had a pleasant atmosphere with cozy ambiance. I noticed a lot of couples holding hands and families sharing each others meals together.

Servers were very pleasant and very articulate in English. I would commend our personal server Kyu who was very gracious and so efficient throughout our meal. Suji's waitstaff frequently scan the room for half-filled glasses and raised hands for more orders/questions. Although there was one time there that we had to wait a minute or two to find a server but then like I said it was the rush hour lunch.

But we were fine. We had the whole day to ourselves and the next thing we knew, our starters had arrived. This was hubby's house salad. It had ample greens in it and I was so glad it had a variety of veggies (not like your run-of-the-mill korean restos with just a bunch of iceberg lettuce in the bowl and a few measly strands of carrot or purple cabbage).

Now this starter, the Home Fries were AWESOME. This represents truth in advertising because it is as good as Hubby's home fries. The potatoes were done and expertly seasoned while the onions were sweet and tender, a perfect foil for the starchy cubes.

Here's hubby with his second bite of the Home Fries.

And us attacking the plate with glee.

Our entrees have finally arrived! Here's my Steak & Eggs. This is not a weekly brunch item (it is really a weekend special). I happen to mention to Kyu that I was considering the fish and chips because I knew that the Steak & Eggs won't be available. He told me that I could have it. I was blown away.

Now this is Hubby's Rib-eye plate. Like my steak, it was cooked perfectly. And it was awesome with Worcestershire sauce (ask the restaurant for this, instead of the regular Dijon steak sauce - you won't regret it!). Hubby's sides for his steak, grilled beans and stir-fried onions. This was pretty tasty, too.

And you get to see me really enjoy the food. Hubby kept asking me to smile for the camera, how can I? I was busy shoveling the food into my mouth. Suji's made my mouth very happy.

The remnants of our sumptious meal. Shall we say this is testament on how the food is so good?

Here is the wonderful Kyu who made our visit to Suji's so memorable.

Kyu offered us dessert but we were so full and satiated. The service was warm and prompt. The food was superb. As we were preparing to leave, Kyu handed us a couple of complimentary sandwich coupons for our future visits. We were floored. Not to mention handing us a package of Honey Cured Ham made in house to try at home. Bless them, we were awed. Hubby and I decided we were definitely coming back with our boys for brunch.

A Family that loves a dog...

2011-01-09T00:38:00.003+09:00

together stays closer

Hubby with Buttons. At night, Buttons becomes Daddy's girl. She would stay beside him on our bed. And when she goes out to do her business outside, she always run back to Daddy's arms.

Ah, but then in the morning, she becomes Mommy's little girl. This is when she likes to snuggle on the sofa when the boys are off to school.

For walkies and doing her business (toilette duties) in the nearby fields, big brother Bottomless Pit brings her out twice a day. Once in the morning and another one before bedtime.

And lastly for a game of fetch with her little ball, Buttons turn to Billy. Also for snuggling together in front of the TV when Billy comes home from school.

No more snow, no more snow, no more snow...

2011-01-08T23:36:00.004+09:00

This is usually what you can see from our window on the porch.....

But right now it's more like this...

I miss Spring...

Still Alive

2011-01-08T00:49:00.002+09:00

I have been reading a lot of blogposts and I sadly remembered this blog of mine. I have been remissed in updating it for a very long time. Well, I'm back and I want to share a pic of my youngest and our furbaby playing on the sofa.

Going Dark for Earth Day 2010

2010-03-28T16:11:00.005+09:00

Bottomless Pit (aka Jai) turned to me and told me "Mom, it's Earth Day today. We need to turn off our lights at 9:30pm, Korean time." Our youngest chimed in and agreed that we needed to that. So I informed hubby we will be joining the Earth Day once again.

By, 9:15pm we started turning the TVs off and I took out our rarely used white taper candles (Korea rarely gets a power outage, and when it does, it usually last about 10 seconds to 2 minutes, a far cry from my brown-out ridden country - Philippines).

To pass the time away, we took out the playing cards and played Bridge. Bottomless Pit and Hubby decided to chill on their beds and took a nap.

Billy and I played about 2 games and then he asked for ghost stories, real ones not made-up stories. So I decided to tell them about the creature that plagued me and my thesis mates up in the mountains of Kanlandog. That was one harrowing night.

Bottomless Pit decided to join us on the table and soon I was telling them about the haunted house that we lived in when I was in high school. Before we knew it, the hour was over. Hubby had to tell us that it was 10:30 and the lights can be turned off. Billy wistfully wished that there were more Earth Day hours like this. I kinda agree with him, too.

Dreaming of strawberries

2010-03-23T08:08:00.003+09:00

My youngest loves strawberries, and so do I. Hubby likes them just fine but doesn't crave it like me and Billy. Jai, our eldest, doesn't particularly like them at all. Ever wonder how strawberry bush looks like?

These were taken at my hubby's boss house. Most of the strawberries haven't ripened yet.

These strawberry bushes have grown on the small hill by the house. I can imagine just opening the kitchen door and walking up to the bushes and helping yourself to a sweet juicy snack. I miss living in a house with a yard/garden.

Snow, Sand and Madness in March

2010-03-23T07:54:00.004+09:00

A lot of people have been saying it's spring here in Korea. Really now? This is what you can see outside my window a week ago.

Even the local newspapers have been reporting the advent of spring with pictures of residents enjoying a stroll under blooming trees and shrubs. I wanna know where that place is in Korea because this is what our neighborhood looked like a couple of nights ago.

And now, we're being bombarded with sand from the Gobi desert all the way from China. The duststorm that came yesterday was one of the worst since the early '80s. Sigh, it's madness here.

My humidifier is famous!

2009-07-07T00:14:00.001+09:00

I found it on Engrish.com. LOL

see more Engrish

Too bad hubby loathes it. I love it!

One Rainy Saturday Afternoon

2009-06-21T14:25:00.005+09:00

What happens when it rains all day, cool and oh so nice to stay in bed?

Buttons slept with Daddy while I played on my computer (on Farmtown in Facebook). I thought it was so sweet that I took a video of them snoozing together. Buttons had a happy dream where she was running (her little legs kept twitching and moving). Unfortunately, that I didn't catch on the video.

Aren't they too precious? :)

Billy's First Model Kit Assembly - The Hwacha

2009-06-21T14:08:00.003+09:00

Remember the Korean seige weapon that the Mythbusters that tested and proved it could work?

Mythbusters "Hwacha Episode"

The Korean Hwacha fired multiple arrows into an approaching army and was used by a Korean king during the Joseon Dynasty. Billy and I had a chance to go to the National Museum of Korea in Seoul a few weeks back. Billy bought a model kit of a woodcut Hwacha. It was laser-cut and the pieces could be assembled together easily (although one broke while Billy tried to get it out of the kit).

Here's Billy's Hwacha and it's about 4 inches X 6 inches wide.

The Rose Garden in Lake Park (Ilsan City)

2009-05-16T19:40:00.009+09:00

One of our favorite places to visit in Ilsan City on our vacation is Lake Park. Lake Park has the largest man-made lake in Korea, with the lake covering almost 73 acres. To walk around the lake at a brisk pace will take almost an hour. Good thing on one side of the lake is a dragon tram that will take you halfway one side of the lake. There are a lot of fun things to do at the park such as biking, inline skating, walking, renting those family bicycle carts and there's even a jogging trail that encircles the entire lake.

If one wants to just go sight-seeing, Lake Park also has a cactus arboretum, botanical gardens, and a toilet museum (?!). What we also enjoy is the area surrounding Lake Park which is really large and sprawling commercial district. You can find Lotte Department Store, Grand Department Store as well as the huge La Festa shopping complex and the Western Dom that has hundreds of stores, restaurants, entertainment venues, and bars.

But our favorite place to stay in the park is the Rose Garden. It is a circular garden which has over a hundred varieties of rose plants and it is breathtaking. There is a mini-gazebo in the middle of the garden, with wooden benches dotting the garden for those who just wants to rest and take in the rose splendor.

This is exactly what we did. Hubby and I sat down to rest (it was a fairly long walk to the garden from the park entrance). Billy took this picture of us. Isn't he becoming a budding photographer? After promising to be careful of my camera, Billy asked permission to take pictures of the roses. So I agreed and let him wander off but only within our gazing distance. Billy then set out to take pictures of the roses.

Here are some of Billy's rose pictures.

Then we did what tourists did at the garden, pose and take pictures...

Billy took a gazillion more pictures while hubby and I just sat there (again) and inhaled the rosy scent surrounding us. It was an overcast day and it was perfect for picture-taking (something I learned from Photography 101). The overcast sky bathe the flowers in a soft, muted light. I have more rose pictures to post but I think it will use up all my alloted image space on Blogger. So here's me waving goodbye and the next post will be the World Flower Festival...

Ilsan Vacation (April 2009)

2009-05-16T19:17:00.007+09:00

My family regularly goes off to a 2-day to 3-day vacation to Ilsan City. Ilsan is a satellite city about 45 minutes away from Seoul using the subway. We go there for our winter and summer vacation days. Why Ilsan you may ask? Well it's a relatively new city with lots of parks, malls, restaurants and places to sightsee. That is also where hubby got his first job here in Korea and we really enjoyed our first year of living in Ilsan.

To quote Wikipedia: "Ilsan is the name of two districts or wards (Ilsandong-gu, literally “Eastern Ilsan district”, and Ilsanseo-gu, literally “Western Ilsan district”) in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. Ilsan-gu has been divided into two wards of Ilsandong-gu and Ilsanseo-gu in May 16, 2005.

Compared to Deogyang-gu, which makes up the rest of Goyang, the recently developed area of Ilsan-gu is more organized and planned, and its residents are generally more affluent. Ilsan is located northwest of Seoul. Like other satellite cities in the Seoul National Capital Area such as Bundang and Pyeongchon, Ilsan was planned in order to alleviate housing shortages in the city of Seoul. Ilsan has experienced phenomenal growth in the past 15 years, usually drawing in younger generations of upper middle-class Koreans."

Now everytime we go for a vacation, it's a choice whether to go to Seoul or to Ilsan (usually we go for the latter). This time, the Biennial World Flower Festival was being held again in Lake Park (Hosu Park). The previous festivals were held inside trade exhibition halls and we didn't think it was going to be as beautiful and as fun.

So off we went to Ilsan for a 3-day vacation. Here are my men enjoying our hotel.

Here's hubby mugging for the camera. He usually parks himself at the free computer that is provided by the motel. That is the neat thing about motels here in Korea. Inside the rooms, you get a computer with speaker and free internet connection, 24/7. Some of the computers are even hooked up to the TV should you want to watch a DVD played on the computer and then watched on the TV screen (usually an LCD Plasma screen).

And while Daddy is on the internet, Billy plays with his PSP (Sony Personal Playstation). If you're looking for me, I am usually stretched out on the bed, watching tv or taking a nap. It's that time when we recharge our batteries and just have fun.

For pictures of Lake Park (specifically the Rose Garden) and the World Flower Festival, let me post that in the next few posts.

***The Rose Garden

***The World Flower Festival

Words of Wisdom from My Father

2009-04-19T00:54:00.002+09:00

"As for mortgages, office intrigues and other worrisome things, keep in mind you can't do anything about them at that time of night. So why worry about them? It is best to get the bad blood out of your system before falling sleep. This way, your sleep will not be marred by frightening dreams."

"Every person is unique and what is a chore for one will be an uplifting experience for another. Take the time to look into yourself and find out what is good for you. If something or someone leaves you drained either physically or emotionally, then that is an activity or a person to be avoided whenever possible."

Thanks Dad. I really needed this today.

Why a Boy Needs a Dog

2009-04-18T08:45:00.002+09:00

The Cycle of Abuse

2009-04-18T08:10:00.002+09:00

Last night was a harrowing night of tears and misery. Not from me but from a Filipina neighbor friend of mine. She sought refuge in my home when her hubby tried to strangle her. She has been a victim of abuse before and the violence is escalating.

I tried my best to counsel her and warn her about going back to her korean husband. I called our church and our pastor came over late last night to whisk her away to a safe house somewhere out of town. Her husband already told her that she is not welcome to come back at all.

My friend is 50 and after a decade of marriage to this bastard, she is cast away like these old pair of boots.

Korean Houses

2009-04-17T20:17:00.003+09:00

I love seeing old Korean houses. Take a gander on this Buddhist home. See the colorful lanterns waving in the wind? I would admit seeing the Buddhist symbol on the flag jarred me when I was new in Korea. I thought it was a Nazi symbol but was corrected that it is primarily a religious symbol.

Even old, abandoned houses have a certain charm of their own. Like abandoned shells of humanity. A haven of lost souls...

Billy's Spring Flowers

2009-04-17T20:05:00.005+09:00

Nothing spells spring than a bunch of fresh flowers. It was fine sunny, spring day and Billy and I went walking with Buttons to the nearby park. We walked, Buttons smelled everything on the ground (and peed every now and then) and then went looking for 4-leaf clovers. When we finally headed back, Billy picked a bunch of flowers for me.

I had a new yellow vase (given to me by my friend Imelda) and was going to arrange the flowers. Billy asked if he can do it and I said "Why not?". Isn't what he made so lovely?

My budding ikebana artist. :)

Birthday Calculator

2009-04-14T07:45:00.001+09:00

I plugged my Birthday in the Birthday Calculator site and got these interesting results.

31 July 1969

Your date of conception was on or about 7 November 1968 which was a Thursday.

You were born on a Thursday
under the astrological sign Leo.
Your Life path number is 9.

Your fortune cookie reads:
Love is the only medicine for a broken heart.

Life Path Compatibility:
You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 3, 6 & 9.
You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 1 & 5.
You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 7 & 11.
You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 4, 8 & 22.

The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2440433.5.
The golden number for 1969 is 13.
The epact number for 1969 is 11.
The year 1969 was not a leap year.

Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/17/1969 and ending 2/5/1970.
You were born in the Chinese year of the Rooster.

Your Native American Zodiac sign is Salmon; your plant is Raspberry.

You were born in the Egyptian month of Paopy, the second month of the season of Poret (Emergence - Fertile soil).

Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 16 Av 5729.
Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 17 Av 5729.

The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.17.15.17.9 which is
12 baktun 17 katun 15 tun 17 uinal 9 kin

The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Thursday, 16 Jumadiyu'l-Avval 1389 (1389-5-16).

The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 6 April 1969.
The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 13 April 1969.
The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 19 February 1969.
The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 25 May 1969.
The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 1 June 1969.
The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Saturday, 13 September 1969.
The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Thursday, 3 April 1969.
The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 18 February 1969.

As of 4/13/2009 5:44:27 PM EDT
You are 39 years old.
You are 477 months old.
You are 2,072 weeks old.
You are 14,501 days old.
You are 348,041 hours old.
You are 20,882,504 minutes old.
You are 1,252,950,267 seconds old.

Celebrities who share your birthday:
Eric Lively (1981) Dean Cain (1966) J.K. Rowling (1965)
Jim Corr (1964) Wesley Snipes (1962) Bill Berry (1958)
Barry Van Dyke (1951) Geraldine Chaplin (1944) Curt Gowdy (1919)
Milton Friedman (1912)

Top songs of 1969
Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In by Fifth Dimension In the Year 2525 by Zager & Evans
Get Back by Beatles (with Billy Preston) Sugar, Sugar by Archies
Honky Tonk Women by Rolling Stones Everyday People by Sly & the Family Stone
Dizzy by Tommy Roe Wedding Bell Blues by Fifth Dimension
I Can't Get Next to You by Temptations Crimson & Clover by Tommy James & the Shondells

Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 5.67553816046967 years old. (You're still chasing cats!)

Your lucky day is Sunday.
Your lucky number is 1 & 4.
Your ruling planet(s) is Sun.
Your lucky dates are 1st, 10th, 19th, 28th.
Your opposition sign is Aquarius.
Your opposition number(s) is 8.

Today is not one of your lucky days!

There are 109 days till your next birthday
on which your cake will have 40 candles.

Those 40 candles produce 40 BTUs,
or 10,080 calories of heat (that's only 10.0800 food Calories!) .
You can boil 4.57 US ounces of water with that many candles.

In 1969 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US.
In 1969 the US population was approximately 179,323,175 people, 50.6 persons per square mile.
In 1969 in the US there were approximately 1,800,000 marriages (9.3%) and 479,000 divorces (2.5%)
In 1969 in the US there were approximately 1,712,000 deaths (9.5 per 1000)
In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds.
In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds.

In 1969 the population of Australia was approximately 12,407,217.
In 1969 there were approximately 250,175 births in Australia.
In 1969 in Australia there were approximately 112,470 marriages and 10,930 divorces.
In 1969 in Australia there were approximately 106,496 deaths.

Your birth flower is DELPHINIUM

Your birthstone is Ruby

The Mystical properties of Ruby

Ruby is said to open one's heart to love.
Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources)

Carnelian

Your birth tree is
Cypress, the Faithfulness
Strong, muscular, adaptable, takes what life has to give, happy,content,optimistic, needs enough money and acknowledgment, hates loneliness, passionate lover which cannot be satisfied, faithful, quick-tempered,unruly, pedantic and careless.

There are 256 days till Christmas 2009!
There are 269 days till Orthodox Christmas!

The moon's phase on the day you were born was waning gibbous.

The Newest Member of Our Family - Buttons.

2009-04-05T21:56:00.005+09:00

Meet Buttons, she's a Yorkshire Terrier and she's the newest member of our household. Buttons was rescued 3 years ago in the dead of winter when her (insert your choice of expletive here)owner kicked her out because he couldn't potty train her. My friend, Imelda, was the one who rescued her and brought her to her animal shelter.

Buttons has already taken over our home and our hearts. She is a very gentle and loving dog who always wants to be cuddled, held, stroked and carried around. This delights Hubby since he adores dogs and always carries Buttons around. Billy loves playing fetch with her and runs all over the house with her at his feet. They sleep together on his bed and wake up together in the mornings.

Sometimes, she just lazes about and relaxes on our beds. Buttons loves burrowing under the covers, under mounds of pillows and even under mattresses. She has provided us with a gentle, loving nature that is so calming and reassuring. Spending some quality time by brushing her long silky hair everytime lowers my blood pressure and I've enjoyed every minute of it.

I still can't fathom why someone would throw away such a delightful, loving animal. All I can say is that, now Buttons has finally found a new home. Our home.

Earth Day

2009-03-30T08:32:00.004+09:00

Last week, Billy kept reminding me that Saturday, 8:30 pm was Earth Day - an hour long observation of turning off all lights, TV, computers, etc. I told Hubby about it (on the night itself) and he wasn't too thrilled about it. There was a K1 fight going on and he wanted to see if the guy got the crap beat out of him.

But we did do the Earth Day thing and turned off all of our appliances and electronic stuff. Well, except for the fridge. To occupy the time, I took out all our leftover, extra birthday candles and decided to let Billy light them one by one. Did you know that it takes about 10 minutes for an average birthday candle to finally burn out?

The things you learn when you're in the dark. :)

Korean Garlic Pizza ... bleagh.

2009-03-30T08:22:00.002+09:00

Hubby and I went to our local grocery store and found this in the frozen section...

It looked interesting enough. Garlic Pizza. I love garlic and I love pizza. I told my hubby to get me one (it was only $2.99) and that would be my dinner for the night. When we got home, hubby ordered pepperoni pizza from Sijang Pizza (he didn't trust the packaged pizza). I opened up the package...

...and found shrimp (yay!) and pineapple (what the heck?). Pineapple belongs in a fruit cup or a salad - NEVER ON A PIZZA. I tried to pick out all the yucky pineapple chunks on it and broiled the pizza in our oven. It was bland, I couldn't taste the cheese, let alone the pizza sauce. And I was still hungry. So I took a hot slice of pepperoni pizza from my hubby's pizza and finally felt full.

Justice League cartoon ala Daddy Bill

2009-02-01T20:40:00.003+09:00

Remember the supercool Justice League animated cartoons on Warner Brothers? The ones with the great storylines, adult humor and snappy one-liners?

It was a family favorite and we [Jai, Billy, moi and hubby] would all watch it (on our bed and usually with snacks and drinks).

If y'all can remember the opening sequence, here's hubby acting it out for us. (Listen for Billy singing along with the song and then giggling at the funny movements).

My Favorite Things

2009-02-01T15:20:00.005+09:00

...Brown paper packages tied up with string
these are a few of my favorite things...

I love getting stuff from the mail. Living in another country means that sometimes, there is just some stuff that is hard to find here. Like freshly grated coconut, exotic spices, local chocolates and snacks from Manila... sigh. Good thing that I belong to several internet communities and have exchanged care packages with friends.

So far, I have sent a Korean clay pot, Korean nutty goodies and candies, "gochujang" (red pepper paste), sparkly celphone accessories, metal chopsticks, etc. And in return, I have gotten packages of gravy mix, US chocolates and candies, "lokum" (Turkish Delight from actual Turkey - thanks Sazji!), asthma relief aids, my beloved Terry Pratchett books (his latest) and lately...

TimTam chocolate cookies and Milo bars from Australia!

Thank you so much Sephie! My friend, from the Terry Pratchett Message Board, sent me these goodies from Down-Under. We were talking about the delights of eating Milo powder (kinda like Ovaltine and Hershey cocoa powder) straight from the jar. She promised to send me Milo bars and thought of sending these 3 kinds of TimTam cookies. Sephie also instructed me to make a Timtam straw and that I would have to do before I gobble up all the cookies.

I sent Sephie my favorite chocolate covered cookie here in Korea, plus some other goodies too.

By the time my goodies from Australia arrived, another package turned up in my mailbox. It was from the US, sent by my Singaporian friend Edwin who was vacationing there. I asked a favor from him if he could send me cayenne pepper spice. A tiny bottle of cayenne pepper costs about $7 here. And Edwin was nice enough to send me two.

I can't wait to do another goodie-swap with an internet friend. Sometimes, the best things do come from the mail.

I said it once...

2009-01-27T22:10:00.003+09:00

And I will say it again,

SPAMMERS/HACKERS SHOULD BE HUNG BY THEIR WAZZOOS.

Or be dealt with this kitty's intentions.

Last weekend, my firewall got breached and a [unprintable expletive] hacker got my Google password. My Gmail password and alternate email got changed and I spent several frustrating days trying to email Google that I couldn't access my account. So I gave up on this blog and created a new blog instead
A Box of Jalapenos (part 2). Like Murphy's Law, Google came through and gave me my Google account back.

Great. Now I have two blogs. Well, what the heck. From now on, my newest blog would deal mainly with food and recipes. This old blog will be mostly family updates and other topics such as the perils and tribulations of living abroad.

Corned Beef with Cabbage Filipino Style

2009-01-23T18:29:00.002+09:00

When I was little, I would love to read the Manila Bulletin newspaper comic section. It was a full-page of comics ranging from US cartoon strips (Peanuts, Spiderman, The Phantom, etc) but what really got my attention was a strip called "Bringing Up Father". The mom in the cartoon, Maggie, would ask Jiggs what he wanted for supper. The answer was always Corned Beef and Cabbage.

I once asked my mom to fix it and she said that she has always been fixing it. Then she pointed out that our lunch that day was corned beef and cabbage. I knew it wasn't the same thing that Jiggs wanted for supper but the Filipino version is still very tasty and satisfying.

So, I'm sharing my mom's recipe for Corned Beef and Cabbage. What we use is the canned corned beef called "Argentina Corned Beef". Click here to see what it looks like: Argentina Corned Beef. It's a tiny can, maybe as big a round like a tomato paste can.

Recipe:

1 can Argentina corned beef
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp corn oil
1/2 head of cabbage, cut into shreds
2 cups beef stock or 1 beef boullion cube + 2 cups water

1. In a wok, heat up the oil and fry the garlic until golden-brown. Add the onion slices and stir-fry until the onions are translucent.

2. Open the can of corned beef and dump the contents into the pan. Stir-fry everything for about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir-fry everything for a minute.

3. Add the beef stock. Cover and bring to a boil. When it starts boiling, take the cover off and let simmer for 5-7 minutes or until the cabbage is cooked (to your liking, I like mine a still with some crunch).

4. Take off the heat and serve into bowls.

This is a good side dish for fried fish like "galunggong" (Scad). Of course, with freshly cooked rice, too.

Ampalaya and Sardinas (Bitter Gourd with Sardines in Tomato Sauce)

2009-01-17T13:15:00.003+09:00

I used to hate "ampalaya" or Bitter Gourd in English. It is also called "amargoso" in some parts of the Philippines. Ampalaya is usually served thinly sliced with beaten egg (like a veggie scrambled egg stir-fry) or sauteed with beef slices and then drenched with a thick oyster sauce-based dressing.

What changed my mind about the ampalaya? My friend and neighbor Elena had a vegetable garden and she grew ampalaya there. She kept trying to give me ampalaya fruit which I constantly refused, recalling my childhood days of being forced to eat the bitter vegetable. She assured me that her ampalaya wasn't that bitter and with proper preparation, most of the bitterness would be gone anyway. I changed my mind and accepted several ampalaya fruit. It was wonderful. And not bitter at all.

The ampalaya dish I made today for breakfast is Ampalaya and Sardinas (Canned Sardines in Tomato Sauce). The sardines I used is of the Ligo brand (I think the most popular canned sardines in the Philippines). You can get for a buck here (which means it's probably 40 to 50 cents back in Manila.

So on to the recipe.

RECIPE

1 medium-sized ampalaya
1 can of sardines in tomato sauce (any brand will do, even the spicy one)
1/4 cup rock salt
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp cooking oil

1. Wash the ampalaya, cut the ends off and then cut in half. Using a spoon, scrape the inner white portion of the fruit (that has seeds in it) until you come to the firm green flesh. Cut into thin slices, pile into a bowl and mix thoroughly with rock salt. (This will leach most of the bitterness out of the sliced ampalaya). Set aside.

2. Get a wok or pan and set over medium fire. Add the oil and when it is hot, add the garlic and fry until golden-brown. Then add the onion slices and stir-fry until the onion is translucent.

3. Wash and rinse the ampalaya slices. Drain and add the ampalaya to the pan. Stir-fry everything for about 2 minutes.

4. Open the can of sardines and dump everything into the pan. Add about a can of water (use the empty can for measurement) and add that to the pan too. If you like, break up the whole sardines into little pieces. Stir everything and let simmer.

5. When the sauce has reduced to half, the dish is done. Turn off the heat and serve with rice.

This dish is usually served for lunch but like what i said, I had it for breakfast. Well, brunch technically since I woke up late (almost lunchtime). Ampalaya is rich with iron and is usually prescribed to persons with anemia. It is also promotes digestion. Recent studies are now looking to ampalaya extract to help combat HIV infections. Now if that is not enough for you to try ampalaya, I don't know what will. All I know, my brunch this morning was really mighty tasty. And healthy too. ;)

Making Deokkbokki (Korean Ricecakes in Red Pepper Sauce)

2009-01-17T00:37:00.004+09:00

Deokkbokki is a popular street snack in Korea. You can find it almost anywhere there is a food cart. Most food sellers have a hot plate of deokkbokki in its fiery red sauce, simmering away. Deokkbokki is basically long rice sticks cooked in gochujang (korean red pepper paste). The basic ingredients also include slices of fish cake, leeks, onions and sometimes whole boiled eggs.

Korean kids usually buy it in a paper cup (costs about 50 cents) and eat it with a toothpick (which they use to stab the deokk (rice cake) and shovel it into their mouths. The first time I tasted it, it was so hot that it brought tears to my eyes. But kids here are so used to the spiciness that it doesn't faze them a bit. I have to drink two gulps of water before I can eat another rice cake.

I finally had a chance to learn how to make this snack when hubby's school hosted an post-Christmas party for the kids. Stella, the school's secretary, showed me step-by-step on how to fix deokkbokki. I can't believe how simple it was. She had to fix large amounts of deokkbokki for the school event so I'll include measurements in ( ) for those who want to fix a regular amount of it.

In a flat-bottom pan, add the following (1 cup) julienned cabbage, (1/2 cup) sliced leeks, (1 tbsp minced garlic) and (about 2 cups) water. Turn the heat up to medium and let it come to simmer.

Add about (2-3 tbsp) gochujang. This is red pepper paste and can usually be found in Korean grocery stores or Asian food marts. If you need some, email me and I'll send you some authentic homemade gochujang. There's a large jar in my fridge and I swear this stuff lasts forever.

Next is a very important step, the sugar. Yes, deokkbokki has some sugar in it, this is to counter the gochujang flavor. Add about a (tablespoon or two) of sugar.

Last is beef bouillion powder. Stella says that this is optional since one can use plain salt and pepper. I used about (1 tbsp) of beef bouillon powder. Stella also added a smidgen of MSG (I know some of you are cringing about this but I use it too). You can omit this too, if you prefer. Mix everything up and continue to let it simmer.

Now cut the deokk into 2-inch pieces and the fish cake into 2X3 inch slices. If the deokk you bought is fresh (like what is available here for me) you can simply add the pieces to the pan. If they are packaged and bought from the supermarket, you would need to soak them in hot water for 5 minutes and then drained before adding to the pan. You would need about (4 cups of) sliced rice and 2 cups sliced fish cakes. Add both the rice cakes and fish cakes to the pan ( that would be simmering by now). Mix everything very well and let simmer until the sauce has reduced and become sticky.

Taste the sauce before turning off the heat. See if it needs more salt, more sugar. Or if it is too sticky, add more water to it. And if it is too watery, just let it cook a little longer. To avoid using beef bouillon, I suggest using vegetable or chicken stock. And deokk or rice cake doesn't only come in long thin tubes. Some shapes are thin oval slices, long big tubes (the size of water hoses) and even fun shapes like snowman figures. You can use any shape you want. And optional ingredients also include slices of shitakke mushrooms, sliced carrots, broccoli, etc.

Next time, I'll post another deokkbokki recipe, only this time, the sauce is soy-sauce based. :)

Ginataang Langka (Jackfruit in Coconut Milk)

2009-01-17T00:17:00.004+09:00

This recipe reminds me so much of home. "Langka" or Jackfruit is a very common fruit in the Philippines. The fruit and the seeds are used in a variety of desserts, most notably in "Halo-Halo" and "Guinataan". The whole unripe fruit (peeled of course) is used in savory viands like "Ginataang Langka" or Green Jackfruit simmered in coconut milk.

This side dish is very rich and creamy and is a perfect foil for fried pork or fried/grilled fish. Make sure that the unripe or green jackfruit is peeled when you buy it or peeling it means a lot of sticky sap on your hands, cutting board and clothes. My grandmother used to oil her hands, knife and cutting board when she cuts unripe jackfruit. This helps get rid of the sticky sap easily (the sap also causes an unremovable stain on clothes).

One easy way is to get canned unripe jackfruit. I found one in a foreigner food store in Geumhang (about 30 minutes away by bus). The canned green jackfruit cost about $3.50 and is from Thailand.

Recipe
1 can of green jackfruit or 2 cups of peeled, fresh unripe jackfruit
1 can coconut cream or 1 packet of coconut powder mixed with half cup of warm water
1 cup of coconut milk or 1 packet of coconut powder mixed with 1 cup of warm water
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 cup of cooked sliced pork
1/2 onion, sliced
1 smoked fish or dried fish, boned and flaked
1 green chili pepper
1 tbsp fish sauce

1. If the jackfruit is fresh, cut into bite-size pieces and cook in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes until tender. If your using canned, just slice into 2 inch bite size pieces.

2. In a wok or deep pan, turn up the heat to medium and add the oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add pork and stir for about 2 minutes.

3. Add the jackfruit to the pan plus the cup of coconut water. Let cook until it starts to simmer.

4. Add the flaked fish and fish sauce. You can substitute 1/2 tbsp of rock salt if you don't want to us the latter.

5. Add sliced green chili peppers to the pan and continue to simmer until it reduces to half the amount.

6. Add the coconut cream at the end and just let it simmer for a minute and then turn off the heat.

Serve hot with rice and your choice of pork or fish.

Trekkies Unite!

2008-11-19T18:55:00.000+09:00

The latest Star Trek installment is coming. Watch for it.

Give it away...

2008-11-18T11:00:00.002+09:00

I recently signed up with a group that exchanges items/stuff with each other for free. The name of the group is called Freecycle.

As a service to the group, I'd like to share this email from one of the group's head/founder for Freecycle Seoul:

Howdy folks

Freecycle Seoul is one of the slowest moving Freecycle groups. Let's work on this by sharing the love!

Please spread the word to friends and colleagues in Korea. Encourage people to join up and donate unwanted items.

You can help do this in a few ways:

1. Tell others about this group
2. Link to the group in forums you regularly visit
3. Mention this group on your blog
4. Whenever someone wants to 'donate' something, suggest they do it through here

Use this link: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/seoulfreecycle

Of course, there are many ways to spread the word, but most importantly, please let people know that this group exists.

Also, there is no reason why this group should be limited to foreign residents of Seoul (and Korea). Tell your co-workers at school, or your office colleagues, that they can use this site, even with limited English.

There are only a few rules to remember:

1. Freecycle is free. No buying, selling or bartering. This is not for profit.
2. Subject lines need to follow a specific format, to make it easier for everyone to follow. eg:

Use these phrases:

OFFER: old couch (location)
TAKEN: old couch

WANTED: old couch
RECEIVED: old couch

It's that easy!

Please spread the word and help make this group bigger and more effective.

For the meantime, I've turned off message moderation, which means that your OFFERS and WANTED posts will be sent immediately. If the group becomes bigger, or people start spamming the board, then I'll turn moderation back on.

Thanks for helping make Seoul Freecycle a great community.

Cheers

David

Justin Timberlake Rocks!

2008-11-17T08:58:00.004+09:00

If you guys haven't seen the SNL (Saturday Night Live) show last weekend, you should see it. Justin Timberlake crashes the weekend update (he was suppose to do the Thanksgiving show but couldn't so he gives a hilarious mad-cap rundown on what his show was going to be. He does great voice impressions!).

Next came a short skit with Beyonce with JT playing one of the male dancers for the "Single Ladies: Put a Ring on It" video. Watch and laugh your @ss out.

Now the guy just can't dance and sing, he can also do comedy too. I admit, now I am a fan.

One man's trash

2008-11-13T19:22:00.006+09:00

...is another woman's treasure.

One great thing about living here in Korea is that Koreans throw out everything. You name it - TVs, electronic stuff (cameras, phones, etc.), appliances, clothes, furniture and most especially kitchenware.

Being a Filipina, I have inherited the hoarding gene and it pains to for me to see stuff in good working condition, thrown out in the recycling bin. Lemme show you the kitchen "treasures" I have rescued.

A steamer pot that has served me well. It is great for steaming dimsum, sweet potatoes, potatoes (for mashed taters), etc.

I actually found a Vision pot. Granted it is good for a single or two serving, but hey it's perfect for us.

This charming little duo I use for making ramyeon, boiling eggs, cooking chestnuts, etc.

A wide flat-bottom pot perfect for stews and veggie dishes.

So next time you pass a recycling bin, trash yard or garbage can, don't be afraid to dumpster dive. You'll probably be surprised at the treasures that you can find.

Cake-Inna-Mug

2008-11-13T19:07:00.011+09:00

I found this great recipe while browsing online. It said bake a cake in a mug in just 3 minutes using your microwave. Now how cool is that? The neat thing about it is that there are only 5 basic ingredients that you need: flour, cocoa drink mix, egg, water and cooking oil. The recipe can be found HERE.

Here's the cake baking in my oven. See it tower majestically above the mug?

Now open the microwave after the alloted 3 minutes and watch the cake deflate back into the mug.

Carefully take the mug out using oven mitts and set it on the kitchen counter. The freshly baked cake smells awesome!

Now dump the cake on a plate and cut into thick slices to release the steam inside it. From this on you can serve it topped with ice cream, icing, whipped cream, nuts, chocolate syrup. etc.

My little one preferred whipped cream and ice cream for his toppings. And he gave it a thumbs up. :)

I won! I won!

2008-11-12T08:35:00.002+09:00

There's a certain thrill and satisfaction when somebody tells you that you're a winner. Be it the lowest prize in the daily Lotto or some trinket from a friend. Last time I won, it was from an online Bingo game hosted by my friend - MissyK. There was very special prize for the person who chose a certain actor's name. The prize was a small stuffed polar bear and a Lei.

Then Walk this Way's Carlos Celdran hosted a game called "THE UNBEARABLE LIGHTNESS OF BEING BAKYA." Bakya in Filipino means "tacky" and also means a pair of Filipino wooden clogs (well, they used to be wooden in the past but now they're more of plastic and rubber). And after almost a month's wait, I won! My entry was a picture of woman in heeled sandals at the same time wearing socks. Ugh!

I had the winning certificate mailed to my mom so she can pick out her Happy Feet sandals. It wouldn't do good for me to have it mailed to me anyway. It's too cold for sandals here in Korea now.

A Writer's Enemy

2008-11-12T08:20:00.003+09:00

It's been over a month since I wrote in this blog. It's hard to explain when you stop writing. You can chalk it to laziness but deep inside, I feel something else. It's selfishness. Yes, sometimes we writers don't want to share our writings, our thoughts, our prose.

A couple of nights ago, I dreamt a story that was pure fantasy and magic. It would have made for a great short story, even a novella. But even as I pondered in setting it into writing, something made me stop and not write it down at all. Now the dream was just a dream and just fragments of it float into my memory.

Now as I tappity-type on my keyboard while "The Bridge of Teribithia" blares on the TV, I find that the urge to write has been sparked again. I shall post more on my thoughts, what has happened and what will be. I just need to overcome the enemy again.

Happy Birthday to My Wonderful Man!

2008-10-08T18:03:00.008+09:00

Let me tell you about a wonderful man named Bill.

He is quite the accomplished cook who could whip up a full course breakfast in bed in a matter of minutes. He fries the most perfect fried chicken (moist in the inside and crispy, golden brown on the outside) and even whips up a darn-good homemade spaghetti sauce. He fixes the best taco burrito I've ever tasted (just ask my sister whose eyes bugged out when she first bit into one of Bill's homemade burrito). His burritos have become a family favorite in my clan. And don't get me started with his barbequed ribs and chicken.

He loves being a teacher and relishes his role as a mentor of kids. He is always proud to see kids who have grown-up studying with him, speak with good conversational Englih skills. He just doesn't teach his students, he actually cares about their educational growth and well-being. And his kids sure loves him back. :)

He loves being Santa Claus after being asked to play father Christmas to the opening of one of Manila's premier malls (Powerplant Mall). This is one role he takes seriously. When we were still based in the Philippines, Bill would dress up as Santa and go to the hospitals on Christmas Day to greet the sick kids confined there. I would never forget one patient, a tiny girl in ICU whose last visitor in her life was Santa Claus. She died several days later after that fateful Christmas morning. My mother thinks there is only one perfect guy to dress up as Santa and that would be Bill.

He loves to crack jokes and make people laugh. If you ever meet him, ask him to do his Jabba the Hut impression. It will make you jaw drop and also make you laugh yourself silly. He can liven up a party with his "silly" magic tricks and he never fails to wow the crowd. Hey, he was a very good commercial actor way back then in Manila.

Did I mention that he is a very caring father? He dotes on our boys with all his heart and never fails to spend time with them no matter how busy he is. He fixes toys, downloads their favorite TV shows, kisses their tears away when they have a booboo and a host of other father stuff.Not like most men, he wears his heart on his sleeve when it comes to showing his emotions for our boys. He breaks down and cries when he sees Billy and Jai get sick, hurt or when he misses them (like Jai being far away now). He's a great dad, a loving father and a wonderful husband.

And today is his birthday, Happy Birthday Bill, Mindful, Mahal and my Other Half. I am lucky to have found you.

The Insect & Reptile Exhibit (with Firefly Larvae)

2008-08-26T23:39:00.010+09:00

I know, it's a weird title. But that is exactly what the name of the exhibit told to us by our korean guide (who thankfully spoke in English). Billy and I saw this exhibit early in the start of August. I promised him that we would return to Seoul to visit the exhibit before it ended on August 24.

We decided to go on on Friday, August 22, after I taught my classes. So we boarded a bus to Seoul and then took the subway train to Noksapyeong station (about 20 stops and 2 train transfers away). It was about $10 entrance fee per individual and I hoped it was worth it.

There were a lot of desicated insects on display outside of the exhibit. I thought it was all of that but I was wrong - there were live animals and insects inside. First up were the bugs. There were beetles, crickets, bees, katydids, stick insects, and a host of other creepy crawlies including my nemesis - the tarantula. *shudder* The gargantuan furry arachnid that they had even had orange fur on its legs. I gave it a wide berth. In a touch exhibit, Billy had fun making hercules beetles joust at each other.

Then it was off to the reptile exhibit. Billy had a chance to pet and handle several friendly snakes.

And even pose beside huge ones like these Burmese pythons (this yellow one is an albino).

This python nearly killed our guide a week before. He was cleaning its cage when it lunged at him and tried to strangle him with its coils. Good thing his fellow tour guides and animal handlers were there to help him get the snake off.

We also got to see bearded lizards, a young monitor lizard and even a local korean lizard called the line lizard (due to a single line running down its sides).

Bearded Lizard

Monitor lizard (I told the guide that I had an opportunity to eat one of these back when I was in college. Yes, it taste like chicken).

Line lizard found only in Korea.

We also got to see a monkey, guinea pigs, cute little miniature pigs from Cambodia, a ferret and some huge bunnies. We got to pet most of them like this albino skunk (the guide told us not to worry, this one's been de-skunked). It was my first time to have seen an actual skunk. Hubby said it was too bad I didn't get a chance to get a whiff of its actual odor. No, thank you very much.

There were adorable hedgehogs there too. I already saw a hedgehog about a year ago here in our local streetmarket but this was the first time that I actually got to pet one. These little guys never even woke up when we were petting them. One actually yawned and went back to sleep. How cute!

Billy also had a chance to catch and release some eels in a small pond that they set up in the middle of the exhibit. There were a bunch of kids there who were giggling and having the time of their life. The guides told them that they had to release the eels back when they were through catching them. Everyone were also told to wash their hands after that.

I let Billy roam around and explore to his hearts content. But soon, it was 4:00 pm and we still haven't eaten lunch and I was really hungry. Billy posed one last time with our tour guide (Mr. Kim) and we bade goodbye to all the animals and creepy-crawlies. It was definitely worth the fee.

LOLDogs

2008-08-24T10:54:00.002+09:00

You heard of Lolzcats? Well I found it's canine counterpart and here are my favorites...

And I swear I actually do this...

see more puppies

My Omnivore's 100 Food

2008-08-23T23:45:00.004+09:00

I found this meme list from ZenKimchi's blog. Interesting. Though some food items on the list are generally not food per se (road kill) or something I would want to try out and some I don't even know what the heck it is. Well, lemme see, you'll find all the stuff that I tried with *** markings on it.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros *** I actually made it.
4. Steak tartare *** I love this.
5. Crocodile
6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue ***
8. Carp *** called "besugo" in Tagalog
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari ***
12. Pho ***
13. PB&J sandwich ***
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart *** the best is Sabrett's
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes *** Peach wine actually
19. Steamed pork buns *** called siopao in Tagalog or Bao in Chinese
20. Pistachio ice cream *** one of the few ice cream I actually eat
21. Heirloom tomatoes *** yep
22. Fresh wild berries *** oh yeah
23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans ***Popeyes
25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche ***
28. Oysters *** pickled, raw or steamed or even wrapped in bacon
29. Baklava ***
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas ***
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl ***
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float ***
36. Cognac with a fat cigar
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo *** I made this!
40. Oxtail *** in Kare Kare (or Filipino peanut stew) it is wonderful!
41. Curried goat ***
42. Whole insects *** crispy fried is the way to go
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk *** my mom made me drink this when I was little
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel *** oh yeah
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut *** oh double yeah!
50. Sea urchin *** they're best fresh from the sea
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi ***
53. Abalone ***
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal *** got food poisoned by this and nearly lost Billy in my womb
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV ***
59. Poutine ***
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores ***but not at a campfire
62. Sweetbreads ***
63. Kaolin (in Kaopectate)
64. Currywurst ***
65. Durian *** my favorite fruit of all
66. Frogs’ legs *** my mom wade me eat this when I was little!
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake *** oh yeah
68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain *** great with Arroz ala Cubana
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette *** yup
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini (not together)
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
78. Snail *** in coconut milk, yeah baby!
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky (same as Bbebbero in Korea and Japan) ***
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare ***
87. Goulash ***
88. Flowers ***
89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam *** with a side order of garlic fried rice
92. Soft shell crab ***
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish *** with turmeric and coconut milk
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox ***
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta ***
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
100. Snake *** ate this in China when I was pregnant with Billy, and boy was it good!

I got 52 out of 100

Too Many Pictures....

2008-08-22T22:57:00.002+09:00

Too little time.

I have tons of pictures and stories from my travels in Manila, around Korea and now in Seoul - where Billy and I met fascinating creatures in the Insect & Reptile Exhibit.

I promise to post them pics and stories soon.

I will possess your heart...

2008-08-22T22:41:00.003+09:00

My sister turned me on to this song. It's by a strange band named "Death Cab for Cutie".

It's creepy, weird, scary, beautiful sad song about unrequited love. A perfect song for stalkers and their ilk. I like it.

Have you ever danced in the moonlight?

2008-08-11T21:59:00.004+09:00

Want to know the name of the full moon each month? Here are the official names from the Farmer's Almanac...

January ----- Wolf Moon
February ---- Snow Moon
March ------- Worm Moon
April ------- Pink Moon
May --------- Flower Moon
June -------- Strawberry Moon
July -------- Buck Moon
August ------ Sturgeon Moon
September --- Harvest Moon
October ----- Hunter's Moon
November ---- Beaver Moon
December ---- Cold Moon

more cat pictures

Too busy to breathe...

2008-08-11T21:21:00.004+09:00

more cat pictures

I'm definitely back from our trip to Manila but am too busy and tired to post my pics. Well we did bring back lots of souvenirs from the Philippines: including 3 stitches on the forehead for Billy. He busted an inch-long gash on his noggin when he dived near the pools edge.

Another sad note: My beloved tiny cybershot camera also died. *sob* I'm gonna miss you little buddy

Hubby refuses to get the same camera: too old, too tiny (for his huge phatty phingers) and too expensive (the price just gone down $30 from its old price 4 years ago... geesh). Darn it. I really love that camera. But double the price, we can get the latest Sony handycam camera. Hmmm decisions, decisions, decisions.

Leaving on a jetplane...

2008-07-18T08:42:00.004+09:00

You got it right - I'll be travelling in the next couple of days. I'll be in Manila, Philippines on July 21 and will be there for 10 days. It will be a whirlwind of activity for me and Billy - meeting old friends, shopping, mall-hopping, going to the beach and more shopping!

Hubby, unfortunately, won't be joining us on this trip as he still has classes in his English tutorial school. I''ll be back on my birthday and by that it's Hubby's summer vacation. :)

Why I love Discovery Channel

2008-07-15T09:38:00.004+09:00

I love Discovery Channel. I'm nuts about science and trivia plus the fact I met Hubby through Discovery Channel Online Mind games.

Here's a video why I really love this great channel.... It features Mike Rowe of Dirty Jobs! *swoon* And from what I can remember, featured are the following shows: Shark Week, Deadliest Catch, Dirty Jobs, Future Weapons, Storm Chasers, Man Vs. Wild, Mythbusters, and not a show but a great mind - Stephen Hawkings.

And here's live one with Mike Rowe leading some of Discovery's show stars...

Isn't Discovery great?

None of that Sissy Stuff

2008-07-10T08:20:00.002+09:00

This was posted by a good friend of mine - Daicor. I'd love to share it all with you.

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Are you tired of those sissy 'friendship' poems that always sound good, but never actually come close to reality?

Well, here is a series of promises that actually speak of true friendship. You will see no cutesy little smiley faces on this message...

Just the stone cold truth of our great friendship.

1. When you are sad --I will jump on the person who made you sad like a spider monkey jacked up on Mountain Dew!!!!!!!!!!!!

2. When you are blue -- I will try to dislodge whatever is choking you.

3. When you smile -- I will know you are plotting something that I must be involved in.

4. When you're scared -- we will high tail it out of here.

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5. When you are worried -- I will tell you horrible stories about how much worse it could be until you quit whining, ya big baby!!!!

6. When you are confused -- I will use little words.

7. When you are sick --Stay away from me until you are well again. I don't want whatever you have.

8. When you fall -- I'll pick you up and dust you off.

9. This is my oath. I pledge it to the end. 'Why?' you may ask ...because you are my FRIEND!

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Friendship is like peeing your pants. Everyone can see it.....................but only you can feel the true warmth.

Freaky Glowing Worms

2008-07-09T21:26:00.002+09:00

Here's a weird snack from Lotte - glowing gummy worms.

The worms don't actually glow, it's the plastic tongs that come with the package that glows when you pinch them together.

Hubby came in the room and yelled at Billy for eating glowing worms. I had to reassure him that the jelly candies weren't glowing at all.

And Billy finished the whole package, eating one glowing worm after the other.

Radioactive worms anyone?

Green Beans & Taters

2008-07-09T21:03:00.009+09:00

When you marry a guy from the South (of the US that is) you learn different southern recipes like Banana Pudding. Here's another Southern dish that my hubby really loves - Green Beans and Potatoes.

It's really such a simple dish. All you need are three basic ingredients - potatoes, green beans and a savory meat like smoked sausage or bacon. We didn't have any smoked sausage so bacon it is. Take your bacon and cut into 2 inch pieces. Add to your heavy bottom pot and saute them until they exude oil. Add some sliced onions and fry until the onions change color.

String your beans and cut them into 2-inch pieces. Add to your pot and stir everything. Add water, let's say about 4 cups. Cover the pot and turn the heat to medium high and when the water starts to boil, lower the heat to a low simmer. Cook your beans until they are almost tender.

While the beans are simmering, wash your potatoes. Use small to really small potatoes. If the potatoes are golf-ball sized, there's no need to cut them. If they are bigger like the size of your palm, cut them in half. There is no need to peel them, it makes for a more rustic dish.

If the beans are beginning to tender, add your sliced potatoes to the pot. Add about a tablespoon of salt and 1/2 tablespoon of ground black pepper. Now cover and let everything cook until the potatoes are tender. This will bring your water level down almost to 1/4. That is fine. When the potatoes are done, ladle it in a shallow bowl or plate. It can be a side dish or even the main course, just make a lot more portions. You can also use canned beans but don't add water. Just dumped the beans and the water that they are packed in and add the potatoes too. The beans are already tender and will be cooked once the potatoes are done.

This dish tastes better the next day. That is if you have leftovers.

How to Make Perfect Fries

2008-07-07T20:18:00.004+09:00

Will you look at those fries? Aren't they beautiful? Right now I am munching on these beauties fresh from the frying pan. I know, it's crazy to cook french fries during a sweltering summer night but boy they are that good.

Hubby ordered fried chicken delivery and I had 3 old baked potatoes in the fridge. So while waiting for the fried chicken, I cut up the potatoes into sticks and heated up some oil in a frying pan and fried them until they turned golden. The result? Fries that are crispy golden on the outside and soft and tender in the inside. Perfect!

So next time you baked a potato, don't just bake one, do several. Then cool down the taters you don't eat so you can make crispy, golden fries whenever you want them. Beats the frozen store-bought fries everytime.

My Kids in Hanboks

2008-07-04T19:38:00.011+09:00

One of the prettiest sights in Korea are kids wearing Hanboks which literally means "korean clothing". The formal and semi-formal hanboks are usually worn during festivities and celebrations. Sometimes, elementary schools hosts korean traditional games where the students wear hanboks while playing the games.

One day, I was walking in front of Jai's former elementary school and saw a lot of kids wearing hanboks. Some of them were delighted that I was taking their pictures.

A couple of weeks ago, the school where I am tutoring kids in English held their traditional games. My 5th grade students came into my classroom and started showing off their hanboks to me.

Here is May (Yang HeYoung). She loves to dance and sing to the latest korean pop dance songs.

This is Sara (Kim Suehe).
Sara likes playing teacher during our breaks.

And this pretty girl is Krissy (Park Yoojin).

This is one of my shy students, Christine. But she always try to make a point to talk to me and ask how I am doing.

My smartest student, Clarissa. She has travelled to a lot of countries like UK, Australia, Japan, etc.

And my pretty students all in a row with their colorful hanboks.

Twilight Zone Food

2008-07-03T21:43:00.004+09:00

The food stuff that I find here in Korea are amazing. Such as this "Spam-wanna-be GREEN Pork".

It even tells me to try it as a burger and a sandwich. Hello? The pork is green. Hmmm, maybe it's from the Dr. Seuss franchise.

If that doesn't appeal to your taste, how about munching on these very masculine snacks.

I bet they're hard and salty, too. LOL *wink*

Bokkumbap (Korean Fried Rice)

2008-07-03T21:21:00.004+09:00

When koreans tell you that you're going to have bokkumbap for lunch, fear not, it's just fried rice usually with slices of kimchi mixed with it. My version of the bokkumbap includes kimchi and soy bean sprouts. First, I add about a tablespoon of sesame oil in a frying pan. I heat this up and then add the kimchi strips, stir-frying it for about 2 minutes. Then I add the cold, leftover rice and mix everything up in the pan.

For color and some spice, I add a tablespoon of gochujang (red pepper paste) and mix that in very well until the rice turns a nice red color. I also added a handful of soy bean sprouts (called kong namul in Korean) while I toss the rice around in the pan.

When the sprouts have wilted, scoop your bokkumbap rice into a bowl and enjoy while it is hot. You can add a fried sunnyside up egg on top of the rice and have it as a meal.

I opted to have my bokkumbap rice with some gently poached fish and some cukes on the side to add some crunch to my lunch. Hey, that rhymes. :)

When you throw out your hip...

2008-07-02T21:56:00.003+09:00

... you get a shot on your tushy.

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Yeah, I hurt my hip yesterday trying to catch my balance when I fell into an uneven portion of the road (while crossing the street). I knew I hurt myself when I caught my balance and felt my hip twist in a very unpleasant way. But I had to hobble to the side of the road as fast as I could because there were cars barrelling down on me.

I took some anti-inflammatory meds and then stuck a pain plaster on my hip. Hey it worked! But today I threw out the same hip again during the break in one of my classes in school. And every step with my right leg hurt. So I dragged myself and Billy to the doctor and he confirmed that I sprained my buttocks muscle. I got a shot and several days of meds. And the shot HURT.... *whimper

*I know, I'm a wuss.

My Mom and Imelda

2008-07-02T21:47:00.004+09:00

I would always associate my mom with the shoe-aholic Imelda Marcos. Why? Because they share the same birthday - July 2. While my mom was never into hoarding shoes, she was into Chinese knickknacks or what hubby calls "dust gatherers".

Well happy 61st birthday Mom! And may you have lots of more candles to blow....

My favorite birthday card...

2008-07-01T22:41:00.004+09:00

...is at www.Care2.com

Happy Birthday Card from Da B'day Boyz. Be sure to turn up your sound/speakers. :)

Pork Roast

2008-07-01T09:39:00.002+09:00

Sometimes, when I'm feeling lazy to cook, I grab a pork loin from the supermarket freezer and plan a Pork Roast dinner. All you need is a big hunk of piggy loin, an oven and a bunch of aromatic herbs. I prefer thyme.

So, take your loin (the pork, not your body part) and wash it thoroughly. Pat dry and place it on your cutting board, kitchen counter, or where ever is handy for you. Take your bottle of Lawry's seasoned salt, ground pepper and garlic powder and sprinkle liberally all over the loin. If there are nooks and crevices, make sure that you get in there too. Now take your herb, thyme for me, and sprinkle that all over the loin, too.

Pop it in your oven that has been been preheated to 340 degress F. Bake for about 45 minutes to an hour (depending on the size of your loin). If your loin is as big a round as your arm, 45 minutes will do. If the loin is about the girth of your thigh, then it'll take an hour. Of course, I am talking if you were a petite Filipina like me. :)

Easy Peasy Baked Beans

2008-07-01T08:31:00.003+09:00

Back when we were still living in Manila, hubby and I love to eat at Kenny Roger's Roasters. It's simply a roasted chicken restaurant. One of our favorite side dishes there were the baked beans. I didn't know it was easy to make it using canned baked beans.

Hubby demonstrated it when we had ribs last week. He took a can of baked beans, dumped it in an oven proof dish, added several dollops of salsa, barbeque sauce, bacon pieces and topped it with whole bacon slices. He then took the dish and baked it in our oven. After 30 minutes (actually it should have gone much longer), we took it out. It wasn't bad when it was hot. But boy, when it cooled down, it was fantastic!

Now, wasn't that easy?

The Dumaguete Silliman Summer Writer's Workshop

2008-07-01T08:15:00.003+09:00

When I was little, about 8 or 9, a college student named Elson Elizaga saw me writing poems in my Mom's hamburger shack in Silliman University in Dumaguete City. He asked to see my poems and then befriended me. He kept encouraging me to write poems and prose and I kept writing.

One summer afternoon, he and Butch Dalisay, asked my mother if they could bring me to the Silliman Summer Writer's Workshop. My mom agreed and soon I was attending lectures and dissertation with now prominent Filipino writers (they were students then) and news journalists. There I was, an elementary school girl in pigtails and shorts, attending one of the most prestigious Writer's Workshop in the Philippines.

The workshop changed my life... Because of it I am a writer and a poet.

To read more about it, here's an article on the National Writer's Workshop written by a fellow workshop attendee - Susan Lara.

The workshop that never ends

By Susan S. Lara

Monday, June 30, 2008 In an interview just before her death in 2004, Susan Sontag was asked if there was something she thought writers ought to do, and she said: "Several things. Love words, agonize over sentences. And pay attention to the world."

Half a century ago, Edilberto and Edith Tiempo started saying just that to young writers. The Tiempos founded in 1962 the Philippines first and now longest-running National Writers Workshop at Silliman University in Dumaguete City. For 46 years, hundreds of aspiring writers have been to the workshop, to learn the craft of writing at the master's feet.

There have been rough patches: the workshop has always worked on a shoestring budget, but there had been summers when funding was extraordinarily meager, and could support only six or seven fellows. Yet the workshop kept going, summer after summer, even after university funding stopped in 1992 and former workshop alumni had to band together to keep the flame alive.

Over the past 13 years, the workshop continued through the efforts of the Creative Writing Foundation, Inc. founded by Krip Yuson, Marj Evasco, Jimmy Abad, Ricky de Ungria and me; CAP College; the Dumaguete Literary Arts Service Group, Inc. (DuLA, Inc.) headed by poet-lawyer Ernesto Yee; the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA); and various groups and individuals who value our literary heritage.

This year, the 47th National Writers Workshop came home to Silliman University, thanks to SU president Ben Malayang, who recognizes the prestige the workshop has given the university all these years (most people, in fact, have never stopped calling it the Silliman Writers Workshop).

It was a coming home of sorts, too, for Rowena Torrevillas, who sat in the panel of critics for the second time since she left for the International Writing Program of the University of Iowa in 1984. The first time was in 2005, when she and Robin Hemley, director of UIs Non-fiction Writing Program, brought 10 graduate students from Iowa for the First International Creative Non-fiction Workshop in Dumaguete, which ran parallel to the 44th National Writers Workshop.

This summer's sessions were held in Katipunan Hall, which used to be the Silliman University Mission Hospital, where Rowena was born. Much of the building has not changed, and one can still make out the initial floor plan and layout from the emergency room to the morgue. This has given rise to many ghost stories, of wheelchairs rolling down the corridors on their own, of eerie sounds emanating from the restroom cubicles.

DM Reyes, Lito Zulueta and I joined Rowena and Ernie Yee in the panel during the third week, replacing second-week panelists Butch Dalisay, Cesar Aquino and Dave Genotiva. Myrna Peña Reyes and Butch Macansantos made up the first-week panel, with Rowena and Cesar.

The third week panelists were luckier than Butch Dalisay. We left a rain-drenched Manila, endured a bumpy plane ride, and were rewarded with the spectacle of unclouded Dumaguete, luminous on a Sunday morning. Like Butch, I was dismayed by the shabby condition and service of South Sea Resort last year, so DM and I opted to stay in La Residencia Almar, a Spanish-inspired hotel owned by my cousin Baby Hilado and his wife Olet, while Lito stayed in Bethel. We were given a room with a view in Almar, overlooking the sea, where I had the luxury of watching, without getting up from my bed, Dumaguete's stunning sunrise the only thing that could take the place of caffeine for me.

We met the fellows the following day: Lawrence Anthony Rivera Bernabe (UP Visayas), Noelle Leslie G. dela Cruz (DLSu), Ma. Celeste T. Fusilero (Ateneo de Davao), Rodrigo Dela Peña (London PR Consultancy, Dumaguete), Arelene Jaguit Yandug (Xavier University), Bron Joseph C. Teves (Silliman University), Marguerite Alcarazen de Leon (AdMU), Dustin Edward Celestino (UP Diliman), Joshua L. Lim So (DLSU), Liza Baccay (Cebu Daily News), Fred Jordan Mikhail T. Carnice (SU), Ma. Elena L. Paulma (XU), Anna Carmela P. Tolentino (DLSU), and Lamberto M. Varias, Jr. (UP Diliman). They were positively glowing, still under the magic spell of Siquijor, where they had spent the weekend. As usually happens by the third week, they had already bonded well, were already feeling at home and dreading the impending end of the workshop.

Mom Edith, heeding doctor's advice, refrained from attending the sessions, entrusting the workshop to the capable hands of Rowena. Like Mom in workshops past, she always gave the opening salvo, pointing out a work's major strengths and weaknesses, sometimes reading another poem that achieved what the assigned piece was trying to do. Ernie, Lito and I followed with elaborations, more suggestions on how the piece could be improved, a little nitpicking when necessary. By unspoken agreement we let DM have the final word, as he could always be depended upon to give the discussions a satisfying closure.

What do we usually look for in a workshop piece? In poetry, we take pleasure in heightened and symbolic language, a startlingly new insight into something familiar and quotidian, and craftsmanship in articulating the poems concept. In both fiction and nonfiction, we invariably look for sharp and complex characterization, motivation, significant details, consistency in point of view, the change that occurs in the end, the human universal truth — the why behind the story, a question of a higher level than what happens next. We remind fellows of John Cheever's statement: "I lie to tell a more significant truth."

We were sorry we missed Mom Edith's lecture at the end of the second week, where she clarified the ways of enhancing poetic content: 1) through reverberation, achieved by the inclusion of details or situations that echo the meaning of the poem; 2) the use of indigenous wit, sharpness and humor; 3) the use of classical allusions; and 4) a startling idea or concept to serve as the core of the poetic content.

Everyone agreed that the 47th Batch is a great bunch. There is a good deal of fine writing. Most of the fellows' works already hold the evidence of other writers' workshops attended, and the promise that they are in it for the long haul. We were hard-pressed to think of ways to improve "Cross," Margie de Leon's metafiction, or "In His Own Image," Lambert's science fiction. We delighted in Igor dela Peñas ekphrastic poem "Whitewash" and Leslie dela Cruz's poignant "Terminal."

The panelists know the value of encouragement. But we also know that fellows can't be helped by lenience, by saying a piece is a deferred success when we simply mean it has flaws. So we didn't pull our punches either. Some gems:

Arrive late, plunge into the action immediately.
Leave early; dont overstay your welcome.
Whose story is this? Whose point of view do we have access to?
Show, don't tell.
This is a crucial point in the story and should be rendered in scene, not summarized.
This is not poetry; it is cut-up prose.
The poem doesnt rise above the literal level.
The literal level is unclear, so the metaphorical level totters on shaky ground.
Paul Engle, Dad Ed and Mom Edith's literary father, and therefore our literary granddad, was invoked several times:

Writing is like making love: it is astonishing how far pure instinct (if it really is pure) will carry you. It is also true of both these lyrical forms of expression that a few things consciously learned will push toward perfection what might otherwise be an ordinary act.
You can't grow hair on a billiard ball.
You cant make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.
We perceived no churlishness, even if we tended to bear down too much on fustian writing or plain exposition. This is a group that can take criticism with grace, and can dish it out, too, with aplomb. Leslie noted this as early as the first week: "I was astounded by the high level of discourse that we regularly achieve in the workshop. I've never been in a discussion with this many scintillating people, never had such powerful mental orgasms." And this, from Liza: "They could read me my electricity bill and I'd still be raptly listening." And they even came to the sessions on time!

The most pleasant, gratifying gesture, however, was the fellow's surprise gift to the panelists, to the SU English Department, headed by Andrea Soluta, and everyone who made the Workshop such a magical experience for them: Sea[sic], an anthology of prose and poetry written by the fellows in and about Dumaguete, with Dustin and Margie serving as midwives. Jordan called it our baby, our little token to all panelists who endured our ignorance, our clean-slatedness as youngsters in the world of literature. For Igor, it is simply proof that they didn't spend every night drinking: "only every other night." The other evenings were spent writing, and the result merits a treasured spot on my bedside table.

Definitely, there were no billiard balls in this batch. No sow's ears either, and we're all looking forward to a good harvest of silk purses pretty soon, from our newest brothers and sisters in this ever-growing writing family.

Getting Old...

2008-06-30T10:39:00.002+09:00

A Wookie friend shared these jokes with me in the email.

Two elderly ladies are sitting on the front porch in Bonita Springs,
doing nothing.
One lady turns and asks, 'Do you still get horny?'
The other replies, 'Oh sure I do.'
The first old lady asks, 'What do you do about it?'
The second old lady replies, 'I suck a lifesaver.'
After a few moments, the first old lady asks, 'Who drives you to the beach?'

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

Three old ladies were sitting side by side in their retirement home in Ft. Lauderdale reminiscing. The first lady recalled shopping at the green grocers and demonstrated with her hands, the length and thickness of a cucumber she could buy for a penny.

The second old lady nodded, adding that onions used to be much bigger and cheaper also, and demonstrated the size of two big onions she could buy for a penny a piece.

The third old lady remarked, 'I can't hear a word you're saying, but I remember the guy you're talking about.

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

A little old lady was sitting on a park bench in The Villages, a Florida Adult community. A man walked over and sits down on the other end of the bench. After a few moments, the woman asks, 'Are you a stranger here?'
He replies, 'I lived here years ago.'
'So, where were you all these years?'
'In prison,' he says.
'Why did they put you in prison?'
He looked at her, and very quietly said, 'I killed my wife.'
'Oh!' said the woman. 'So you're single...?!'

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

Two elderly people living in Ft. Myers, he was a widower and she a widow, had known each other for a number of years. One evening there was a community supper in the big arena in the Clubhouse.

The two were at the same table, across from one another. As the meal went on, he took a few admiring glances at her and finally gathered the courage to ask her, 'Will you marry me?'

After about six seconds of careful consideration, she answered 'Yes. Yes, I will!'

The meal ended and, with a few more pleasant exchanges, they went to their respective places. Next morning, he was troubled. 'Did she say 'yes' or did she say 'no'?'

He couldn't remember. Try as he might, he just could not recall. Not even a faint memory. With trepidation, he went to the telephone and called her.

First, he explained that he didn't remember as well as he used to. Then he reviewed the lovely evening past. As he gained a little more courage, he inquired, 'When I asked if you would marry me, did you say ' Yes' or did you say 'No'?'

He was delighted to hear her say, 'Why, I said, 'Yes, yes I will' and I meant it with all my heart.' Then she continued, 'And I am so glad that you called, because I couldn't remember who had asked me.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
A man was telling his neighbor in Miami, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's state of the art. It's perfect.'

'Really,' answered the neighbor. 'What kind is it?'

'Twelve thirty.'

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Morris, an 82 year-old man, went to the doctor in Estero to get a physical. A few days later the doctor saw Morris walking down the street with a gorgeous young woman on his arm.

A couple of days later the doctor spoke to Morris and said, 'You're really doing great, aren't you?'

'Just doing what you said, Doc : 'Get a hot mamma' and 'be cheerful.'',Morris replied.

To which doctor said, 'I didn't say that, Morris. I said, 'You've got a heart murmur, be careful!'

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

A little old man shuffled slowly into the 'Orange Dipper', an ice cream parlor in Naples, and pulled himself slowly, painfully, up onto a stool.

After catching his breath he ordered a banana split.

The waitress asked kindly, 'Crushed nuts?'

'No,' he replied, 'hemorrhoids

:)

Patatas, Potatoes, Taters, Kamja, etc... Meals

2008-06-28T14:39:00.008+09:00

Several days ago when I went downstairs to throw wet trash in the food garbage bins behind the admin office of our buildings, I saw a couple of guys unloading boxes. I asked what was in the boxes and they told me they were freshly harvested potatoes. And one box (with over 20 kilos of potatoes in it) would cost only 10,000 won (a little over $10). I thought it was a great deal so I bought one box.

Now here's my dilemna, there's only three of us in our house and one of us is a little 8 year old boy. What to do with over 20 kilos of spuds? I could always give some to my friends but then, it would still leave a lot of taters with us. I foresee a lot of potato meals in my post soon.

A couple of nights ago I baked some potatoes for supper. Hubby had his baked potato (topped with sauteed onions and bell pepper strips) with baked ribs while Billy had his (smothered and drowning in butter) with fried chicken. I ate mine with butter, some salt and pepper. There's nothing more heavenly than a perfect baked potato (soft and creamy inside).

The rest of the baked potatoes were reincarnated into hash browns for breakfast. To make hash browns, just peel a cold baked potato and coarsely grate it on a plate. Grab a handful and form a firm patty between your fingers. Heat up some oil in a nonstick pan and drop the patty in. Press down with a spatula and let cook over medium heat until one side is golden brown. Turn over and cook the other side until its golden brown and crispy.

Hubby enjoyed his with scrambled egg and crispy bacon on the side. Billy wanted just bacon with his hash browns, so this is his plate. I usually sprinkle some iodized salt and ground black pepper on the hash browns before I serve them. For my hash browns, preferred them done a little differently...

I wanted my potatoes to be cut into little cubes before frying them golden brown. I also wanted it to be folded in with the scrambled eggs. This is variation of a Spanish tapa meal which consists of fried potatoes in a quiche-like omelet. In the Philippines, I remember my grandmother, Mamang Chit< would simply cut up potatoes into julienne strips and fry them and then just cover them with scrambled eggs. It was a favorite breakfast of mine.

I had some fried little korean sausages with my egss & potatoes. I didn't eat any bread since there were enough carbs on my plate already. :)

Fresh from the Garden Pinakbet

2008-06-28T14:21:00.002+09:00

What do you do when your neighbor gives you some bountiful vegetables from her garden? Pinakbet of course! I already posted the recipe for pinakbet in an earlier post - You Bet Pinakbet!

My neighbor, Elena (she's Filipina too but married to a Korean), has a huge vegetable garden about 3 blocks away from my apartment. She gave me japanese eggplants, tomatoes, squash blossoms and green beans (not in the picture).

I plan to make green bean casserole later but here's a picture of my very tasty Pinakbet dish with squash blossoms...

Meet the Newest Member of My Family - Chai

2008-06-26T21:21:00.008+09:00

Last Saturday, June 21, while Typhoon Frank was raging in the Philippines, my sister gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Weighing in at 7 lbs. and 3 ounces, the newest addition to the Pacion clan had a set of lungs that can rival Mariah Carey. My sister told me that she can wail like a banshee.

She had her mom's face and fair, translucent skin. She was perfect!

Welcome to the world Audrey Antoinette! Y'all can call her Chai for short. :)

Tokwa't Baboy (Tofu and Pork dish)

2008-06-26T20:49:00.008+09:00

A few days ago, I was feeling kinda peckish. I wanted something savory, something homey and simple, something from home. I remembered Tokwa't Baboy, fried tofu and pork slices marinated with soy sauce, vinegar and garlic.

I went down to the mom and pop store in front of our apartment building. I bought a block of tofu for 70 cents. Hmm, not bad. In Korea, where freshness is valued above everything else, fresh tofu is delivered and sold in little shops like these. I cut the block of creamy tofu in half and saved it for later. I squeezed some of the water out and cut it into 1 inch strips. I then heated some oil in a pan and lightly fried them until golden brown.

I also had some cooked fatty pork (if you have read some of my recipes, you will find these couple of words mentioned A LOT of times) in the fridge. I usually buy a huge slab of pork when it is street market day. I then usually freeze it for future meals or cook it tender to add to stews or stir-fry. I sliced a cup and fried it lightly too.

Now comes the three magic ingredients - soy sauce, white vinegar and minced garlic. These three usually is combined to make the usual Filipino dipping sauce for grilled meat, fried fish, lumpia (spring rolls), etc. The ratio would be 2:1, 2 parts vinegar, 1 part soy sauce and a teaspoon of minced garlic. I usually add a lot of minced garlic 'coz I love garlic. Mix your 2 tablespoon of soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of vinegar and your choice of amount of garlic in a bowl and pour all over the pork and tofu slices. Mix well and let sit for about 10 minutes.

Now what to pair with the tokwa't baboy? I had a bowl of leftover rice and decided I can make Lugaw or Rice Porridge. I had 2 cups of chicken stock in the freezer and defrosted it. I added the rice and stock in a pot with a couple of slices of ginger. I let this boil and simmer for about 30 minutes until the rice breaks down and becomes wonderfully thick and gooey. Add chopped spring onions or chives on top plus fried minced garlic. (See? I told you I love garlic)

Now I have my soup and my tofu dish. Time to dig in and let my homesick blues melt away. Sigh... tummy happy now.

Fish Curry (my version)

2008-06-26T20:05:00.005+09:00

I found this at our local E-Mart grocery store...

Fish pieces, odds and ends, priced at a relatively low cost of 2,000 won per package (about $2). I figured, hey, I can make a couple of meals out of this.

So, I checked my fridge and found that I had...
> half a squash (a wonderful gift from my neighbor who has a huge vegetable garden)
> half an onion (the other half was used by hubby for his stirfry the previous night) and...

> a bunch of chili leaves.
Filipinos love to add chili leaves to their soups and stews. The chili leaves add another dimension to the flavor of the dish. One tip for those who want to use this wonderfl garnish, don't add it while the soup or the stew is still cooking. The leaves will taste bitte. Add it after the dish is cooked and let the leftover heat cook the leaves.

My friend, Elena, sells this to Filipinos living in this area. It's coconut cream with spices added to it (garlic, ginger and salt). It makes it a much more savory base for the stew instead of adding plain coconut cream. If you can't find it, I have a substitute for it in my recipe below.

Recipe: Doddie's Fish Curry
1 cup diced fish (any firmed flesh fish would do)
1 cup diced squash cubes
1/2 onion, diced
1 handful of chili leaves
1 package of Knorr Cook-It-Fast Coconut cream (or use 1 cup of plain coconut cream with sauteed minced garlic and ginger combined with it)

1. In a small pot, add 1 cup of water and the Knorr Coconut cream and mix very well. Turn on the heat and set it to medium.

2. Add the squash cubes after two minutes and let simmer for five minutes. Add the fish cubes and the onion. Simmer for about 10 minutes or until the fish is done.

3. When the fish is done, turn off the heat and add the chili leaves. Cover the pot and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Open the lid, serve as a rice topping or as a side dish.

Me 9 years ago

2008-06-23T10:08:00.001+09:00

Not Feel Good

2008-06-23T09:35:00.004+09:00

more cat pictures

This is how I feel today. It is not a good day. It's that time of the month again that plagues all women all over the world. Mine is not good. I have dysmenorrhea and no, I will not explain what it is. Google it or something.

This time of the month not only brings urges to maim, violate and kill but also crazy eating habits like devouring a whole can of cheese balls, followed by a Hershey's chocolate car (dark) and then a bag of roasted squid. Now the craving is for sushi and lots of it, preferably dunked and smothered in soy sauce.

more cat pictures
After satiating the eating monster in me, I feel good, full ... and bloated as the Goodyear blimp.

I hate this time of the month.

Vegetarian Lunch at the Moga Museum Restaurant

2008-06-21T23:23:00.013+09:00

When I went to the Moga Museum in Yeoju City with Sally and her friend, Jennifer, it was a very relaxing and peaceful tour around the grounds. All the walking and browsing around made us all very hungry by lunch time and it was fortunate that there was a restaurant in the middle of the Moga Museum site. This was a vegetarian restaurant, since the museum primarily showcases Buddhist art. Jennifer ordered a set meal for all of us.

One of our appetizers were this crispy, fried seaweed sheets. This was wonderful and my favorite of all the appetizers. It had a delightful crunch to it and the taste was light and with a hint of saltiness. I delighted in dunking pieces of it in soy sauce, making it even more salty.

We also had some mixed greens that had a light, spicy dressing on it. Everything was so fresh and had a pleasant crunch to it. All of us were grabbing chopsticks-full of this delightful salad.

We also had acorn jelly salad that had strips of kim (seasoned dried seaweed wrapper). It also had spinach, chives and julienned kimchi strips that gave a tangy flavor to the salad.

Here's another favorite banchan or side dish of mine - the Biddendeok Pancake (ground mungbean pancake). This one was plain and simple with just some chives mixed in with the batter. Wonderful when doused with soy sauce and eaten while it is fresh from the frying pan.

Next, the waitress brought out our soup, Dwenjjang Jjige (Fermented Soybean Paste stew). Our stew was loaded with handmade dough chunks, spinach, daikon radish cubes and slices of hot green chilis. This made me sweat with the heat and the spiciness.

It was a good thing they brought out the rice, because my mouth was really burning with the soup. The rice was served in individual stone pots like this and was really very good. Each rice kernel was soft and cooked to perfection.

I was pleasantly surprised to see sauteed spinach in the bottom of the pot when I mixed it.

Here are more sidedishes that were brought out for our meal. A quartet of veggies ranging from mugwort stems, doraji strips, daikon strips and some green leaves that I have no idea what it's called.

A pair of pickled peppers that I didn't pick to eat. My mouth was hot enough. Jennifer, on the other hand, seem to really enjoy munching on this fiery pickles.

Oooh, these braised berries were awesome! Braised in soysauce and God-knows-what, these berries make a delightful popping sound in your mouth when you crunch on them and your tongue gets a burst of flavor. Sigh, I love this wonderful appetizer.

I think this sidedish were made out of chili pepper leaves. If not, they're some form of wild mountain greens that the restaurant staff regularly gathers for the vegetarian dishes on the menu.

We also have stalks of some kind of leafy plant, also braised in soysauce. Everything, such as the soy sauces and chili sauces, in this restaurant is homemade.

We also have fried tofu slices and tea with our meal. It was a very savoury meal, even for a carnivore like me. I can eat like this once in a while, but not everyday. But after indulging in a lot of red meat and fatty dishes, this vegetarian meal has made me feel like a good girl.

Moga Museum in Yeoju

2008-06-21T22:28:00.021+09:00

Almost a month ago, my good friend Sally invited me to go to Yeoju City to visit the Moga Museum and the Yeoju Ceramic Festival. So one sunny Saturday afternoon, Sally met me at my apartment and we drove merrily along to Yeoju which was about 30 minutes away.

Here's my friend Sally. She's the school nurse at Gamgok School where I teach English to all the elementary grades. She has studied English with me before and has been a good friend since. We're waiting for her friend, Jennifer, to join us in our trip to the museum. After a few minutes, she arrived and a quick stop to the optical center (I forgot to bring my sunglasses so I bought another pair), we were off!

The Moga Buddhist Museum is devoted to recapturing the beauty of traditional Buddhist art and exploring its place in modern society. Established in 1993, the country's only museum exclusively dedicated to Buddhist art holds more than 10,000 artifacts -- many of which date back to the Unified Silla Dynasty (668-935) and Goryeo Dynasty (918-1392). It was during these two dynasties when Buddhism flourished. (excerpt from buddhisttravel.com)

(More from buddhisttravel.com) The museum holds traditional Buddhist culture classes and annual exhibitions for the development of Korean culture. It also introduces Korean Buddhist materials and invaluable data on woodworking crafts to the public. It has many projects planned to restore Korean traditional arts. Here is Jennifer, a Yeoju resident who loves visiting this museum.

Here are some sculptures, in various form, that we found all over the museum grounds.

These trio of statues were huge. I would guess they are over 2 stories tall. They're quite imposing and all visitors who enter the museum gates are immediately gravitated to it. The huge urn in front of it almost comes up to my chin. They are quite resplendent especially when the sun hits the rays of the middle statue's halo.

We came across a pair of these Jeju Island stone figures. They are reminiscent of their huge Easter Island brothers but these stony statues provide a unique service to childless couples. It is said that when a woman rub the statue's nose, like what my friend Jennifer is doing, she will soon have a baby boy. Jennifer invited me to rub the statue's nose but I politely declined as I already have two boys. :)

Here are more charming buddhist art that we saw all over the grounds...

Throughout the museum property were several temples where devout buddhists can pray and make offerings. Jennifer takes this opportunity to pray by touching her forehead to the ground three times.

There were other forms of prayer too, like this one involving a prayer wheel. It is said that pushing the wheel to a complete revolution is a whole prayer sent to the heavens. These men were part of a tour group that came in buses.

These huge intricately carved wooden mural is almost 15 feet tall.

A traditional korean drum with dragon paintings all around it. This drum is actually bigger than me.

We then went into the white-clad Avalokitesvara Boddhisattva, a colossal three-story pagoda.The main attraction, located on the second floor, showcases more than 200 items, such as palanquins, wooden drums and statues, that were recovered from the ruins of Buddhist temples. Many of the artifacts date back to the Silla, Goryeo and Joseon Dynasties. Unfortunately, cameras and picture-taking were not allowed inside this part of the museum.

On the second floor, there was a door leading out to a veranda with these stone figures. Notice there are piles of stones on top of the heads of the stone figures. Koreans love to do this all the time, in rivers and on top of mountains. Everywhere you go, you'll see a pile of rocks stacked neatly on top of each other. I sneaked a picture 'coz no one was watching.

And I did a tiny pile of my own. If you have read my post on the picnic that we took a couple of weeks ago (where hubby broke his shoulder in a bad fall), I taught Billy how to stack flat river rocks on top of each other. I didn't do too well with this pile since the wooden statue's head was cockeyed.

After walking around the 3-story structure (and buying some souvenirs), we decided it was time to take a break and have lunch. Jennifer suggested the vegetarian restaurant that was right in the middle of the museum grounds. I took one last shot of the Moga museum buildings and took in the serenity and tranquility of the site. This was definitely one beautiful place on earth.

Next stop, my vegetarian lunch at the Moga Museum Restaurant.

9 Years and Still Going Strong

2008-06-19T21:14:00.006+09:00

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Nine years ago to this very day, Hubby and I walked down the aisle. I was the last to get married (and the eldest of four siblings and one that my family has given hope of ever settling down). Well, it has almost been a decade and with 2 wonderful sons, our marriage is still going strong.

One fact, I must confess, I always forget our anniversary. Year after year, it is always the same scenario. My eyes bug out and my head darts to the calendar to confirm my worst misgivings, I once again forgotten our anniversary. Hubby has tried to remedy this by greeting me on the 19 of every month of each year. And it is the same case, I have successfully blocked it out of my mind. Good thing hubby is a good sport and laughs about it. My mom was right, I married the right man.

Happy Anniversary Honey!

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Kimchi Stew

2008-06-19T20:13:00.004+09:00

I belong to a food forum group called eGullet.com. There I am known as Domestic Goddess (originally I wanted to be Domestic Diva but it sounded too snobbish). One of the threads I frequently post is the PMS Cravings thread. It's a thread where boys/men are outlawed and PMS-suffering women can vent or confess their cravings or what they just stuffed themselves with.

Well, it's that time of the month again and the craving for salty food has begun. For me, one of the perfect PMS-comfort food is Kimchi Jjige (Kimchi Stew). It's a spicy-sour-savory stew with lots of kimchi slices and fatty pork slices. The stew can be as simple as just kimchi, Spam slices, garlic and water. It can be as extravagant as clean-out-your-veggie-bin stew.

I was fortunate enough to have a good friend show me how to cook Kimchi Stew like her grandmother does it. Some recipes on the internet just calls for dumping everything in a pot and let simmer. I believe my friend, Pippi's, recipe brings out the best flavor in the stew.

Kimchi Jjige (Kimchi Stew)
2 cups of sliced kimchi, strips about 1x2 inch wide
1/2 cup kimchi juice
1 head garlic, minced
1/2 pound fatty pork, cut into thin, wide strips
1/2 tsp. salt
1/e tsp. MSG
2 cups water
2 tbsp. cooking oil (I use corn oil)
1/2 zuchinni, cut into half and then half-moon slices
1 cup tofu, cut into 1x1 inch cubes

1. In a flat, bottom stew pot, add the cooking oil. Set the heat to medium and when the oil is hot, add the kimchi slices. Saute for 3 minutes until the color has changed.

2. Add the minced garlic and saute for about a minute. Add the kimchi juice and pork. Let simmer for a minute and then add the water. Bring to a strong simmer and let cook for about 20 minutes. Add salt and msg.

3. Add the zuchinni slices and tofu cubes when the water has cooked down to half. Let simmer for a couple of minutes and serve the stew in bowls with freshly cooked rice.

Chicken Noodle Soup for Hubby's Soul

2008-06-19T19:37:00.008+09:00

When it is a rainy day and your hubby feels like this (see picture above), it's time to make Homemade Chicken Noodle soup. I make everything from scratch, from the chicken broth to the pasta noodle.

For the chicken broth, I usually collect about 10 chicken backs and necks in the freezer (when hubby cuts them out from the chicken when he makes his Famous Kentucky Fried Chicken). I defrost the chicken parts, rinse them well and add to my huge stock pot. In goes a whole onion, a whole carrot, some potato peelings, a celery rib and some whole peppercorns. Let boil and then simmer for an hour. When you make chicken broth, remember to skim the scum (brown, white to blackish foam that comes up when the soup starts boiling) off from the soup. It makes the soup clearer and prettier.

For the pasta noodles, I usually just use a cup and a half of all purpose flour. Dump it in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the center of the flour. Break a couple of eggs in middle of the flour and with a fork start mixing up the eggs. You will see that mixing it up with catch some flour and soon you will incorporate all the flour in the egg mixture. When it resembles like wet dough, use your hand to gather all the mixture in a ball and start kneading. Knead vigorously till the dough becomes somewhat smooth. Cover with a bowl and let rest for 5 minutes. Continue kneading until dough is smooth. Form into a log about 3 inches round. The dough at this point should weigh about 1 lb. 8 ounces. The color of the dough should look like a golden field of wheat ready to be harvested, and the dough should be very dense. And it should be a soft as the flesh on your earlobes. Roll out thinly and cut into strips.

Homemade Chicken Noodle Soup

To assemble the soup, you should have the following:
2 carrots
2 potatoes
2 celery ribs
1 white onion
4 cooked, chicken breasts
5 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 tbsp. olive oil

1. Dice up the carrots, onion and celery. In a large soup/stock pot, add about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and add the diced carrots, onion and celery. Saute this trio for 10 minutes, yes I said 10 MINUTES. This will brown the edges of the carrots, caramelized the onion and make sure that the celery has soften and cooked.

2. While your veggies are sauteeing, dice up the chicken breasts into cubes. You can shred them into strips or even fat strands. Add the cubed chicken to the pot and stir for about 2 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and set the heat to medium high and bring everything to a boil.

3. While waiting for the soup to boil, peel and dice up your potatoes. Do not add these to your soup yet as you don't want it to overcook and get mushy. When the soup starts to boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for about 25 to 30 minutes or until the carrots are cooked.

4. In another pot, bring about 4 cups of water to a boil. Add about a teaspoon of salt and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Get your handmade noodles and dump it into the boiling water. Cook for about 5-7 minutes. It doesn't take long to cook freshly made noodles. Drain and set aside.

5. When the carrots are done to your liking, add the diced potatoes and noodles. Let cook for 10 minutes more. When the potatoes are done, sprinkle minced celery leaves or chopped parsley to add pretty green flecks to your soup.

Ladle into bowls, serve hot with crackers or crusty bread. Don't forget to sprinkle ground black pepper before you take your first sip. It's homey comfort in a bowl.

A Grey, Rainy Day

2008-06-18T21:57:00.002+09:00

Today was a wet, drizzly rainy day. I love rainy days. The coolness in the air, the pat-pat-patter of rain on the window pane. All of these makes it perfect for a bowl of hot, comforting soup, a good book to read and of course, an excuse to take a nap.

One thing I hate about rainy days is the humidity. The warm, damp air wraps around you like a wet flannel blanket. Yuck... . Even getting in front of an electric fan won't help. Only a blast from cold air from the air conditioner would provide respite from the clammy feeling of humid air.

I love/hate rainy days.

To all the Dads out there... Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-16T08:01:00.008+09:00

It's Father's Day for fathers all over the world. I greeted my beloved Hubby yesterday with one of his favorite breakfast - Biscuits with Sausage and Hotel Scrambled Eggs. (For homemade biscuits check out my recipe in this post: Biscuits to start the day.)

Hubby likes his biscuits fresh, hot from the oven and slathered with butter and jully. I like mine plain with butter. I decided I, too, wanted to have freshly baked biscuits but instead of a sausage patty, I opted for bacon. You can never go wrong with bacon.

Since we had a late breakfast (that could technically qualify it as lunch), we both decided that we would have an early dinner, say 6:00 pm. For supper, I planned to serve grilled filet mignon steaks with baked potatoes for my men, while I have a traditional Filipino pork barbeque with vegetable kebabs on the side.

Here's what our grill looked like. My veggie kabobs flanked the meat and you can see the bacon wrapped filet mignons in the right center. Hubby likes his steak between medium rare and medium well. His ideal baked potato would have a generous helping of butter plus sauteed onions and bell peppers. Billy, on the other hand, likes his steak medium well and his baked potato DROWNING in melted butter.

Well as they say, there's no better way to say "I love you" to a man than through his tummy. And here is the proof.

Happy Father's Day, Bill!

(and to John, Jonas, Bay and all the other fathers out there).

Banananana Bread*

2008-06-10T06:08:00.008+09:00

*borrowed heavily from from Terry Pratchet's Discworld books with its banananana daquiri references

I cleaned out my fridge yesterday. It looked a lot worse but this is how it looks now. I was sick and tired of having frozen stuff fall out and bruising my noggin and toes. Plus, there were a lot of stuff in there that needed to be thrown out (like half eaten popsicle sticks - Billy's). There were mysterious food stuff there from God-knows-when but then I just stuffed it back in. I might chuck them out later. And then I spied this. A lot of it.

It's not what you think. That mass of black stuff used to be bananas, old bananas that were too mushy to eat. I used to chuck them into the trash bin until somebody told me it was great for banana bread, just stuff it in the freezer and thaw until I was ready to use it for baking. Only this time, I think I had about two bunches of bananas, all stocked up.

So I took down a batch (there were enough there for 4 batches), thawed it. And took out my handy, dandy recipe book. Here's my very own recipe of Banana Bread.

Banananana Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups unsifted flour
1 cup white sugar
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 cups ripe, mashed bananas
1/2 cup vegetable oil (corn oil is the best)
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup chopped chocolate pieces

1. Lightly grease the bottom of a bread loaf pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. Combine the first dry ingredients in a large, mixing bowl.

3. In another bowl, add banans, oil, eggs and milk. Blend with a handheld immersion blender until everything looks like creamy porridge.

4. Mix the wet and dry indredients together.

5. Add the chocolate pieces to the batter. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 60 to 65 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center, comes out clean.

*Note: If you have too much batter like I did, just get out your muffin cups and make banana muffins.

And you would know if you did a good job. Because you will get scenes like this.

Happy baking!

Paksiw na Bangus (Boiled Pickled Milkfish)

2008-06-10T05:46:00.001+09:00

When I was little, this was my least favorite lunch food. It was like eating sour fish in very little sauce. Usually, paksiw means stewed or to stew in Filipino. Paksiw na Isda is stewed fish. The fish I used is Bangus or what you call milkfish in English. It has a gazillion bones in it and it annoys the heck out of my hubby when he sees me try to eat it. LOL

But the bangus belly, with its cm of glistening fat, is one of the most scrumptious things in the world. And paksiw na isda is best served after 2 days in the fridge. Letting it sit for awhile enhances and brings out the best flavor in the dish. One guilty luxury of eating paksiw is that after you pour some sauce over rice, add a smidgen of oil rendered from pork fried in it. Not too much, you just want to add a sheen of goodness in your rice. And to eat it, just have a saucer of fish sauce ready to dip pieces/chunks in it.

Here's the recipe to make Paksiw na Bangus. Note: you can substitute sardines or any firm, white fleshed fish for the dish.

Paksiw na Isda

1 kilo Bangus (milkfish) or any white-fleshed fish, scaled, gutted and cleaned
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup water
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 inch ginger, sliced
2 pieces banana peppers or any green, mild chili peppers
1 asian eggplant, sliced diagonally

1. Cut the bangus fish into 4 slices. Place fish in a non-reactive pan such as a teflon or porcelain coated skillet. I used my Vision glass pan for this. Add all other ingredients, except the water and the eggplant.

2. Cover and bring to a boil. When the vinegar starts boiling, add the water. Let simmer about 10 minutes, turning fish once to cook evenly.

3. Transfer to a covered dish and store in the refrigerator to "age" for 2 days. After that, once again bring the paksiw to a simmer and then add the eggplant slices and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the eggplant is cooked.

Serve with rice and fish sauce for dipping.

I need sleep...

2008-06-10T05:34:00.004+09:00

more cat pictures

It was another 5:00 am morning wake-up for me. It wasn't my internal clock this time (that was yesterday), it was the sound of Billy crying because his feet hurt. Growing pains that's what hubby calls them. Billy and I were already up last night several times, with me rubbing his feet to make them feel better. I even tried the tying a loose sock/towel over the ankles technique (perfected by Meemaw [HubbyMom] on Hubby's knees and foot when he had the growing pains when he was a kid).

Nothing worked.

Until I remembered my Mom telling me that my brother had growing pains too when he was little and soaking the achy feet in warm water until it cooled help lessen the pain. I made Billy come down from his bed and heated up some water. He sat in the sofa and when the water was ready, poured it in a basin and let him soak it while I brewed myself some decaf coffee.

Five minutes later... this happened -> It worked. Moms really do know what's best.

So when the water cooled I made Billy climb back into bed to get more sleep. It was still 5:30 am. I am still up with my big mug of decaf coffee.

Now if I can only go back to doing this.

Paksiw na Isda (Pickled Fish Stew)

2008-06-09T08:15:00.003+09:00

The photo may not look appetizing but Paksiw na Isda or Pickled Fish stew is a comfort dish for a lot of Filipinos. It is usually made with bangus or milkfish or any firm white-fleshed fish like sardines. I used to be really not fond of dish. I only like the sauce mixed with pork fat oil and drizzled over rice. Oh, it may not sound good but it tastes divine.

I got a couple of bangus fish from my friend, Elena, who's selling Filipino products here in Korea. I was wondering what to do with the fish until I remembered about paksiw. So I went on a search on the internet and found the recipe that sounded like how my mom would do it. I found one and tried it out. I had my pork fat oil too and the first taste was heaven. It brough back a flood of memories, of lunches with long gone elderly relatives.

In my family, there is usually fried pork chops or pork slices that accompany a paksiw meal. Sometimes, my mom would buy chicharon or pork cracklings and we would eat them with the paksiw. It goes like this, take a piece of fish, put on top of a spoonful of rice, load it in your mouth and then take a bite of chicharon. Everything comes together in a wonderful mixture of texture and taste. So if you're adventurous enough to try this very Filipino dish, here's the recipe.

Paksiw na Isda

1 whole milkfish, gutted, scaled and sliced into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1 tsp. salt
1 knob of ginger, peeled and sliced
2 whole cloves of garlic
1 japanese eggplant, cut into 2-inch diagonal slices
1 bitter melon, cut like the eggplant (OPTIONAL: I don't really like bitter melon so I leave this out.
2 tbsp. of pork fat oil
2 banana chili peppers (Optional if you don't want the heat)

1. In a non-reactive pot, place the ginger slices and garlic cloves on the bottom of the pan. Add the fish pieces on top. Add the vinegar and turn on the heat. Cover and wait for it to boil.

2. When the vinegar starts to boil, add the salt and the water. Lower down the heat and simmer. After 10 minutes, add the eggplant, banana peppers and bitter melon. Simmer until the veggies are cooked. When done, add the pork oil on top.

Note: This dish is best enjoyed after a day or two in the fridge. Usually my mother would make this a day before she plans to serve it to us. The time in the fridge makes all the flavors meld and the dish takes one a different level.

Diniguan (Filipino Chocolate Stew)

2008-06-09T07:53:00.005+09:00

No, it is not the Philippines' version of the Mexican dish Mole, but a blood stew. Some would say that Diniguan or Pork Offal in Blood Stew would be a dish fit for the Fear Factor Show. But I would say, they shouldn't diss the dish until they tried it. When done right, Diniguan is a savory stew with tender bits of offal and pork cubes in it. Different regions of the Philippines have different recipes for it. Some even add coconut milk to the stew.

Here's my easy version of the stew. I cheat using cooked offal that you can buy with the Korean Sundae sausages (pictured on top). Sundae sausages are blood sausages stuffed with potato noodles and some chopped veggies. They're usually dipped in salt mixed with red pepper powder (gochukaroo). When served the sliced sausages have sliced lung, liver, pigs head/ear and other offal with it.

Diniguan is usually made when we Filipinos cook lechon (Roasted Pig on a spit). When the pig is killed, cleaned and gutted for the lechon, the various innards are not wasted but cooked in savory stews like Diniguan, Menudo (Offal Stew in Tomato Sauce) or the Ilocano soup called Pinapaitan (Bitter Soup).

For the Diniguan, here's the ingredients you would need. Note: all the offal here are of piggy origin. You may substitute chicken innards or beef innards, if you have them.
Ingredients:
1 cup cooked liver, cubed
1 cup cooked lung, cubed
1 cup cooked intestines, cubed
1 cup cooked stomach, cubed
2 cups cooked pork with some fat on it, cubed
2 cups of pig's blood
1/2 cup of white vinegar
1 small, onion diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
a knob of ginger, sliced
1 small package of Filipino Sinigang mix (or a spoonful of tamarind paste)
2 tbsp cooking oil
1 cup of pork stock or water
2 banana chilis or any mild-flavored chili pepper that you have
salt and pepper

1. In a large bowl, dump the blood and vinegar and maserate (mash) with your hands. This is to prevent the blood from coagulating.
2. In a large wok or pot, heat the oil until hot. Add the ginger pieces and stirfry until golden-brown. (You can actually smell the aroma of the ginger when it is done). Add the minced garlic and do the same. Now add the diced onion and stir-fry until it changed color.
3. Dumped all the cooked meat (offal and pork cubes) into the pot. Stir-fry everything for 5 minutes. This is important as the little bits of meat gets caramelized and will make the stew taste better.
4. When everything has bits of toasty brown bits all over it, add the pork blood. Stir everything and then add the pork stock or water. Let simmer.
5. When it starts to simmer, add your Sinigang mix. If you're using tamarind paste, mix some hot water to it in a little bowl so that it will dissolve first.
6. Add your chili peppers now. Let the stew simmer, not boil as you don't want the blood sauce to curdle.
7. After 10 minutes of simmering, take the pot off the heat and serve the diniguan stew with fresh, hot rice.

Shaving with Daddy

2008-06-05T22:16:00.006+09:00

There's nothing that tugs your heartstrings than seeing your little one imitate Daddy during shaving time. Billy always wanted to shave like his Daddy. Hubby figured out a way how he could do this, take out the blade from the razor and let him shave with the razor holder.

First order of business is the lathering of the face with whipped cream. Oops! I meant shaving cream. LOL. Billy loves this part.

Hubby watches on as Billy imitates how he shaves his face.

And how he contorts his face when tries to get an even, close shave.

The two Bills busy with their facial hygiene. After shaving, Hubby slaps on some skin bracer on Billy and on himself. Billy usually runs up to me and ask me to feel his cheek to see how smooth he has shaved it. I usually do and give him a kiss and tell him how manly he smells. LOL

Soon enough, my little boy would be shaving for real. And I can't wait to see him shave with his son in the distant future. Sigh.

You bet, Pinakbet! (Sauteed Veggies in Shrimp Sauce)

2008-06-05T21:27:00.004+09:00

This veggie dish originates in the province of Ilocos in the Philippines. The climate and terrain is harsh and rugged. The simplicity and versatility of this dish is suited for this region as vegetables grown from one's garden is usually used. One can use a wide variety like: eggplant, yard beans, bitter melon, tomato, ginger, okra, string beans, lima beans, chili peppers and various Filipino vegetables like parda, winged beans. I come from a region that includes squash in the pinakbet.

The sauce added to the dish can be fermented shrimp or fermented fish sauce. It is essential to the dish. Some cook their pinakbet dry almost to the point of no sauce left at all. Others, like me cook their pinakbet saucy.

It was a rainy day and I wanted a simple, comforting dish. All I had in the fridge were eggplants, garlic scapes and some zucchini. There was a half a bottle of fermented fish sauce called bagoong, too. I decided to make pinakbet. Billy decided to help me. Here he is cutting up my veggies for me.

I cut up two japanese eggplants into thirds and then into halves. The garlic scapes, about a small handful, I cut the ends and tops off and cut them up into 2-inch pieces. The zucchini was sliced into rounds and then cut into half. I also added minced garlic, about a teaspoon and half an onion sliced. I used about 1/4 cup of fish sauce and 1 cup of pork stock (or water if you don't have any). Oh, a cup of cooked sliced pork is also great for the dish, if you have roasted pork, so much the better. It adds a lot of flavor to the dish.

First, cook the pork in a little oil until it is slightly golden brown. Drain off oil if the pork exuded a lot of fat. Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil behind with the pork. Add the garlic and saute until golden brown. Add the onions and cook them until they change color.

The rule in cooking the pinakbet is to add the veggies that need to cook the longest first. So I added the garlic scapes first, then after 5 minutes, I added the eggplant. After 5 minutes the zucchini was dumped into the wok and the fish sauce. Stir everything until the sauce covers all the veggies. Add a pinch of MSG if you are not MSG-phobic. Add the cup of stock and cover the wok and let simmer until the eggplant is done.

Serve the dish hot with freshly cooked rice. Watch as you can't help but eat more than two servings of everything. :)

Good News in the End

2008-06-05T09:19:00.003+09:00

more cat pictures

Well, Hubby went to see his doctor yesterday for another x-ray and check-up. The doctor looked at his x-ray and slowly smiled. He declared that Hubby didn't have to surgery at all. There was no migration or movement of the fractured humerus bone. In fact, a couple of nights ago hubby popped his injured shoulder (accidentally) and it felt good. I guess the the bone moved back from its dislocated place.

Everything was looking good and all was needed was the immobilization of Hubby's shoulder and a lot of PT exercises after 2-3 weeks. Hubby and I are so happy.

The awful day last Monday at THAT hospital turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Thanks to the Big Guy upstairs. And if people tell you prayers don't work, tell them to read my blog. Prayers work!

Hospital From H3ll and the DWTHG*

2008-06-03T08:08:00.009+09:00

Question: What's the difference between God and a doctor?
Answer: God doesn't think he is a doctor.

*The Doctor who thinks he's God

Hubby's back home with no surgery. Yup, you read that right, it was a long day yesterday. First the scheduled operation for 10:00am. (as updated to us by one of the senior male nurses last Sunday) NEVER HAPPENED. Hubby fasted the night before and the morning in preparation for it. And nothing happened. I was out and about town running errands and he called me to report the non-existence of his surgery.

I came back around lunchtime and asked the nurses at the admittance and accounting section about what happened and what time is the surgery re-scheduled. I already know the korean word for it and for some time they scrambled about and came back with an answer. It will be for 1:00pm this time. Okay, I told hubby about the new schedule and gave him a kiss and left for work.

1:00 passed and then 2:00, nothing happened. Hubby called me again (thank goodness I had an hour's break between my first and last class). I rushed to the hospital, this time exasperated and stressed to the nurses that WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING? The nurse made some calls and said that the doctor was having lunch. I gave her the eveil eye. She changed her tune. No wait, the doctor is here and Hubby needs to come down from his room (on the 3rd floor) and see the doctor in his office in the 1st floor. What the hey?

So, I ran up the hospital steps (for the ninth time today) and dragged Hubby out of bed to see his doctor. We came down and had to wait several minutes before we were let in. Hubby this time was fatigued, stressed and weak with hunger. The DWTHG motioned for him to sit down on the stool and asked us some questions in Korean. We told him we couldn't speak korean and we were foreigners (duh?). Doctor turned around, raised an eyebrow and asked in English "How long have you been in Korea?" Hubby said over 5 years. Doctor insultingly said "AMAZING (long sneering drawl here). You've been in Korea for over 5 years and you haven't learned korean."

Hubby exploded and said that we weren't there to be scolded for not learning korean and that we just wanted to know what the hell was going to happen to him. Will he have surgery or not? Is there going to be any surgery at all? DWTHG yelled at Hubby that he didn't have the right to get angry. And made it look like it was our fault and miscommunication between us and the nurses about the schedule of the surgery. Here's where the bombshell landed, DWTHG even mentioned there was no surgery scheduled. WHAT??!!

This time Hubby got mad, I got mad and we fussed at the doctor. Doctor fussed back and said that Hubby should find another hospital because HE WILL NOT OPERATE ON HUBBY. He also said we should leave immediately and he doesn't care where and which hospital we would go. I told him what I thought about him and his mother. He told the same thing to me. We stormed out of his office and I had to rush back to my school to tell them I couldn't teach my last class. I broke down to the teachers there and gave them some idea of what happened.

Then I rushed back at the hospital where Hubby told me that the DWTHG said that they will do the surgery anyway and scheduled it for 3:00pm. I was adamant we check out of the hospital and find another one. Who knows what that doctor would decide to do to Hubby's operation (it's a delicate operation, cutting ligaments and one wrong stroke can leave Hubby with permanent nerve damage). Hubby finally agreed with me. We called his boss who found another doctor and our taxi driver friend who helped us packed up our stuff. We went to the new doctor who said that there were other options aside from surgery. Like just immobilization maintenance and physical therapy after several months. Hubby opted for that. (Hubby's sister had the same accident and broke her shoulder too, she didn't have surgery either).

By this time, I rushed to Hubby's training school and subbed for his last several classes. A good friend dropped by the hospital and brought Hubby and Billy home. It was a long day and we were all emotionally and physically exhausted.

So, if any of you find yourself in a sleepy little town called Janghowon, don't ever go to a hospital called Saehan. I beg of you, don't go there. It's a hospital from hell and the doctor in there thinks he's from heaven and a gift to all.

Update on Hubby and Picnic Pics

2008-06-02T06:34:00.008+09:00

Well hubby goes into surgery today at 10:00. I'll be trying to keep busy by running errands around town. I hate waiting for operation results. In the mean time, I'd liketo share picnic photos during that dreadful day.

Here's Billy picking up rocks and pebbles and trying out the cold brook water. He spent a lot of time chasing minnows in the water, tossing rocks into the deepest part of the pools and shrieking with delight when the water splashed him. There were lots of colorful butterflies, moths and dragonflies darting in and out of the river reeds.

Hubby perched on a big boulder which had a smaller rock on it perfect for sitting down. I stayed on the picnic blanket munching on cold roasted chicken that I brought with us for snacking on. I also brought fried dumplings, steamed rice wrapped with banana leaves, fried chicken (from the local BBQ Fried Chicken store), cherry tomatoes, sliced cucumber and lots of fizzy drinks.

Billy joins his dad on his rock and they chat a bit while they're up there. They shared a lot of kisses and hugs. Bill also told stories about his late Dad and him going fishing when he was younger.

In the meantime, I enjoyed the warmth of the sun on my legs while I finished my meal. You can see we took advantage of a great boulder that had a flat top, it was perfect for a picnic table. There were even wild berries in a shrub that was growing behind it. I tried one but it was too sour and hard.

I finally joined Billy in the stream and tried to teach him the Korean way of staking rocks on top of each other. Koreans do this for fun and some as a meditation. You can see a lot of little towers of stacked stones all over river beds and even mountain tops. We stacked several towers of rocks and then let Billy play in the water some more.

It really was a fun day overall, I just wished it didn't end the way it did.

One Bad Fall

2008-06-01T08:48:00.003+09:00

The Householders went on a picnic
and had a great ball
Hubby slipped from a huge boulder
and had a bad fall...

Good thing Hubby is not Humpty Dumpty and the doctors can put his fractured shulder back into place. Hubby is scheduled to have surgery tomorrow, Monday June 1, 2008. He will be laid up in the hospital for 10 days. We went on a picnic at a nearby picnic spot about 30 minutes drive away. Our local taxi driver, Mr. Lee, who is a very good friend recommended the spot.

Unfortunately, the picnic spot has huge boulders and rocks that were slippery due to a previous day's rainfall. We were in fact packed and was trekking back to the parking space to meet up with Mr. Lee. Billy went high up on one boulder and hubby followed him. He was laden with two heavy bags and lost his balance and slipped and fell 10 feet.

Hubby felt his shoulder crack and was stunned in shock for about a minute. A group of teenage girls were also having a picnic and rushed over to help him. They were very nice enough to help us manage about 100 feet more of rocks and boulders. The girls made sure hubby made it safely and even carried our bags for us. Mr. Lee arrived in a few minutes after my frantic call to him on the celphone.

It was a rush to the hospital after that and a round of x-rays and test. The bad news was confirmed by the doctor and that surgery was definitely needed in hubby's case. This means that it will be two weeks before Hubby can go back to work. This also means that my planned trip to the Philippines on July would have to wait or be cancelled.

I'll post more updates about this here as the days go by.

This just made my day...

2008-05-29T08:33:00.001+09:00

Ha ha ha... hee hee hee... gasp-sputter-chortle...

Hey, it's my country. What can I say? LOL

I'm back!!! Tips on How to be a Korean...

2008-05-29T08:02:00.003+09:00

pic courtesy of icanhazcheeseburger.com

I'm finally up on my feet and dancing. Well not really dancing but I'm sniffle-cough-jaw pain-FREE! Woot! Thanks to all who logged in their best wishes for me, I truly appreciate it.

Coming back to blogging I have been pondering on lists lately. I love reading lists (also making them - Things to Do, Grocery Lists, Lists of People I Abhor, etc.) Here's one list I have thought of lately.

Tips on How to be a Korean

1. When you point at something on a piece of paper or on the blackboard, use your middle finger.

2. Eat ice cream outside in the dead of winter.

3. Wear T-shirts that has funny English on it.

4. When someone takes your picture, make a peace sign or put a finger on your cheek to show how cute you are.

5. When eating at a korean bossam (lettuce wrap) restaurant, try to make a bossam as big as a baseball and successfully put everything in your mouth and chew. Chew. Chew.

6. When you're eating and someone asks you a question, just shove the food on the side of your cheek and answer right away. Sometimes, let the other person see the food in your mouth while you talk.

7. In korean fast food restaurants, yell "YO-GI-YO!" as loud as you can to attract the adjuma waitresses' attention.

8. When you leave your apartment, try to slam the door as hard as you can. Do the same when you enter your apartment.

9. Whenever you greet anyone (on the street, in the office, in your home, etc.) make a half-bow and don't stop bowing until the other person does.

10. When you drive your car down the street, don't use any signal lights at all. Watch as pedestrians try to figure out where the heck you are going or turning.

Somebody put an end to my misery...

2008-05-18T00:35:00.004+09:00

pic courtesy of icanhazcheeseburger.com

This is how I feel right now. No, I haven't gone out drinking (I haven't drank alcohol for years now). I just made the mistake of thinking I was well enough to go to a ceramic festival two cities away. I was fine for about a couple of hours until I got dizzy and nauseous.

I don't know what happened. Whether taking it was the week's worth of taking strong painkillers, or the fact that I drank several cups of coffee (it was the only hot beverage I can find in the place - I can't drink cold or tepid water, it hurts my sensitive jaw due to an infected sinus cavity) in a span of a couple of hours. As soon as we came home, my head was reeling and so was my tummy. It wasn't long when I started paying homage to the porcelain god in the bathroom.

But I really feel like crap, like that cat above. And I also feel like this...

After having caffeinated java after several years of decaf coffee and no caffeinated colas, drinking several cups of REAL coffee has left me wide-awake and exhausted. I hate being sick.

My unfortunate pachyderm experience...

2008-05-15T15:02:00.011+09:00

I am well enough to post again but unfortunately I still have the dregs of the flu (inflammed sinuses + chronic upper jaw pain). You know what they say about laughter, it's the best medicine.

SCENE: One nice afternoon during a 3-day weekend. Park is full of kids and families enjoying the wonderful outdoors.

LOCATION: Children's Grand Park in Seoul, Korea

Me: Oh look, there are elephants! I have never seen elephants before.

Hubby: You've never seen elephants before?

Billy: I wanna see them but I don't wanna ride them.

ELEPHANT: (Whispering to his pachyderm pal on the left) I see another gullible family approaching us. Watch what I'll do to catch the mom.

Elephant Handler: C'mon feed the elephants, just a buck for a bag of carrots. Get your chance to feed the elephants!

Me: Oooh honey! We can feed the elephants. Lemme get a bag. (Hurries to buy a bag of cut up carrots).

Hubby: (rolls eyes and sighs).

ELEPHANT: Yeah lady, come and see if you can feed us. *Evil grin*

Me: I'm back with the carrots!

Hubby: Here Billy, now don't be afraid to give them the carrot.

Billy: Ok Dad!

ELEPHANT: Wait for it....

Billy: Here you go elephant!

ELEPHANT: Yeah kid give it here... Aaaa CHOO!

ME: (Mouth wide open while framing the shot... Elephant snot flies right in and lands inside the mouth) Acck! GASP, hack, sputter, cough.... (repeat)

Hubby: You okay honey?

Me: (wailing) The elephant sneezed and some of it landed in my mouth!!!!

ELEPHANT: Yes! Got one again

Hubby: (Trying hard not to laugh) You had elephant snot in your mouth???!!

Me: (still wailing and sputtering) Yeah! And it was salty!

Elephant: Told you I was gonna do something to the lady... (High-fives his fellow elephant)

Hubby: (turns away to hide his laughter) Maybe you will turn into a superhero. Remember Spiderman?

Billy: Cool!

Me: (still wailing and tries to scrub tongue with tissue) I've had strange things in my mouth but this is the weirdest!

*Note: Yes, we still bought more bags of carrots to feed the darn elephants. I even touched the trunk of one (no, not the one who sneezed on me). It was like touching a warm rubber hose covered with toothbrush bristles. Yes, I had to put up with elephant jokes for the rest of the day ... and trip from hubby and Billy. Aaargh!

One more for all the moms out there...

2008-05-11T12:20:00.001+09:00

Thanks for sharing this one Glessie (3 years ago)...

This is for the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's okay honey, Mommy's here."

Who have sat in rocking chairs for hours on end soothing crying babies who can't be comforted. This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for the mothers whose priceless art collections are hanging on their refrigerator doors. And for all the mothers who froze their buns on metal bleachers at football or soccer games instead of watching from the warmth of their cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me, Mom?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet and scream for ice cream before dinner. And for all the mothers who count to ten instead, but realize how child abuse happens.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the (grand)mothers who wanted to, but just couldn't find the words.

This is for all the mothers who go hungry, so their children can eat. For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time ."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school. And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for every mother whose head turns automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home -- or even away at college.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomach aches assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

This is for all the step-mothers who raised another woman's child or children, and gave their time, attention, and love... sometimes to tally unappreciated!

For all the mothers who bite their lips until they bleed when their 14 year olds dye their hair green.

For all the mothers of the victims of recent school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting.

For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to be peaceful, and now pray they come home safely from a war.

What makes a good Mother anyway?

Is it patience?

Compassion?

Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?

Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again at 2 A.M. when you just want to hear their key in the door and know they are safe again in your home?

Or the need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are universal and so our thoughts are for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation...

And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without. This is for you all. For all of us. Hang in there. In the end we can only do the best we can. Tell them every day that we love them. And pray.

"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

Happy Mother's day!

2008-05-11T11:53:00.005+09:00

Here's a funny and endearing piece on mothers. Again, I am playing hooky from my bed as my hubby and little one go out to Ichon City for some sightseeing and shopping (it's unfair for me to ask them to stay in with me when the day is bright and sunny outside).

So for all mothers out there. Here's a survey that will make you smile.

A Survey on Mothers

Answers given by elementary school-age children to the following questions:

Why do we have mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. Clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why do you have your Mom and not some other mother?
1. We're related.
2. The doctor knew she likes me a lot more than other people's moms like me.

What kind of little girl was your Mom?
1. My Mom has always been my Mom and none of that other stuff.
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy.
3. They say she used to be nice.

What did Mom need to know about Dad before she married him?
1. His last name.
2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook?
3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your Mom marry your Dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my Mom eats a lot.
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that Mom didn't have her thinkingcap on.

Who's the boss at your house?
1. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
3. I guess Mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work & work at home, & dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller & stronger, but moms have all the real power cuz that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friend's.
4. Moms have magic; they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your Mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your Mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your Mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that.
2. I'd make my Mom smarter. Then she would know itwas my sister who did it and not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on her back.

Breakfast in Bed

2008-05-10T19:18:00.005+09:00

It's official, I have the flu. Readers viewing this post might want to spray their computer screens with Lysol before reading further. It sucks... the fever, the coughing, the hacking, the shivering and the oh-so-achy body parts. But what is great is that I get to spend the whole day and night in bed. And get served meals by my loving hubby.

This was my breakfast this morning when my fever broke and I finally got some of my apetite back. Green eggs and ham. Ooops sorry, wrong book. I meant eggs sunny-side up, American ham (the best!) and dry toast. All prepared with TLC by the best hubby in the world.

And here is sick 'ol me stuffing my face after a a couple of days of soup and toast.

Oh Crud....

2008-05-08T09:26:00.003+09:00

Picture courtesy of Icanhascheezburger.com

Yeah, that's how I feel. Crud. I woke up with a scratchy throat, aching head and bloody nostrils. To top it all off, I keep sneezing (launching pea-sized pellets of bloody you-know-whats). It figures... after teaching sick, snotty hacking kids for two straight days now, I would end up with the @$#@#^%! germs too.

Don't get me wrong, I love my part-time jobs. There is a certain pleasure in teaching kids and watching them learn through your lesson. The downside is that here in Korea, parents send their sick kids to school. One time, when the chicken pox virus was rampant, letters were issued from the schools to beg parents to keep their pox-laden kids at home.

This unfortunately happen to me yesterday, one of my little girls had a fever, couldn't stop coughing and was really sick. AND HER PARENTS MADE HER GO TO MY CLASS. Geesh, I make Billy stay at home at the slightest hint of fever or tummy ache. So, I had to make my sick kid just rest in the class and not participate at all. I really feel so sorry for korean kids and how their parents push them so hard to study.

I guess my posts on the Children's Park and my unfortunate elephant incident must have to wait. I need to drag my sorry butt back to bed.

A week off and why...

2008-05-07T08:28:00.007+09:00

I haven't posted for almost a week now and I will tell you why - we went to Seoul for vacation! Yup, there was a 3-day weekend last week (May 3 to May 5). May 5 was Children's Day in Korea and it is a holiday. Come to think of it, this coming weekend is a 3-day weekend too, with Monday (May 12) celebrating Buddha's Birthday.

Well back to why I was AWOL for a week. Last Saturday, we packed up and left for Seoul (we had tickets for the Iron Man movie and we were gearing up to watch it) and boarded the Dong Seoul bus (East Seoul). The bus to Seoul from Janghowon takes about an hour and a half of travel.

Billy usually chatters about the trip for about 10 minutes. Or we play games like "I-Spy" or "What am I Thinking About?". Then he asks for my MP3 and sits back to listen to it while we travel. He (and Jai) loves Smashmouth's Allstar song. He listens and bops his head to the music all the way to Seoul.

Bill does the same too (without the chattering and the games), with his MP3. He usually listens to Carole King and James Taylor songs. After awhile he falls asleep until I nudge him awake when we reach the terminal in Seoul.

When we reach COEX mall it was early enough to eat breakfast at McDonald's. The latter's breakfast menu is barely a year old (it was introduced last year). You can hear a lot of expats exclaiming "It's about time!". We had our usual sausage and egg + hashbrown breakfast. Billy loves hashbrowns that he gets two everytime. :)

Then it was time for our movie. We loaded up with popcorn, nachos and fizzy drinks. The Iron Man movie rocked and Robert Downey, Jr. plays Tony Stark/Iron Man so well. He is back in his game and if he doesn't mess up with drugs and booze, his career might be skyrocket again.

After the movie we set out to look for a hotel to stay in. We travelled a subway stop down COEX mall and found a strip of business hotels lining a street. The first one we chose was a bust. Their computer in the room didn't connect to the internet so they moved us to another room. It too, had a busted computer. :-S Sigh .... we let them try to work it out and they gave up. We got out money back and set out to find another hotel.

The next one, Sun Hotel, proved to be more promising. All the stuff in the room was working and in fine condition (not like the other hotel whose air con cover was falling off the unit). Plus, it had a super-sized jacuzzi tub that Billy played in twice a day for two days. :) So, we were all settled in.

The next days saw us visiting the Children's Grand Park (animal rides and zoo in all), play in the mall's arcades and window-shopping. We headed back to our tiny town of Janghowon on Monday and spent the rest of the day recuperating from our vacation. LOL

I'll post pics of our time in the Childen's Park in my next post and tell y'all about my unfortunate incident at the elephant ride. :(

Sportsfest at Billy's school

2008-05-01T08:06:00.011+09:00

Yesterday, we went to Billy's school (Wondang Elementary School) to see him participate in their yearly sportsfest games. Since the school had a few students (less than 10 kids per grade, unlike Jai's previous school that had 30 kids in a class with several sections per grade), the games are mostly parlour games and group games. The entire school was divided into two team, Billy was on the ChungBan team. I forgot the other team's name.

Before all the activities began, Billy and all the kids had to do calistenics. Their teachers joined in with them.

All schools play this generic recording of a guy counting off the exercise moves to a march-like song. The tune is very catchy and the guy sounds like a military general counting off the moves.

Sometimes, I hear this recording played in supermarkets and I resist the urge to do jumping jacks and sit-ups. LOL

Here's Billy waiting for his turn in the 10-meter dash.

And off they go! Billy ran with three girls and was last when they started running. He overtook one girl and came in second at the last minute. He got a 2nd place stamp on his arm for that (which means he gets a prize later).

Next we had the long balloon relay. Groups of 3 would take this long balloon tube, run around a marker and come back to hand it to another group of 3.

Imagine my surprise when all the moms and dads were called in to join the fun. :) I asked Bill to take our pictures. You see me here with a yellow cap and a red tee-shirt.

Run Babylove run! Hubby took a video of me running with another mom with the balloon. WE won this game!

Next game was a relay where 6 people would stick one of their foot into a plastic holder and they were suppose to run at the same time. Here's Billy finishing with 5 other kids.

Here are the mom's turn. We tried our best but we didn't win this round. We played several more games like trying to make a huge balloon with this basketball size bed sheet. Or trying to get more color cards turn into our color by flipping them over (the team tries to flip them into their color). Another game was fighting over 5 seats and which team sits on most seats first.

Then we had to leave after lunch because hubby and I had teaching jobs at 2:00pm. It was a great day, even though we only got to be there for half of it.

Pa Jeon (Veggie Pancakes)

2008-04-30T20:21:00.013+09:00

My brother's nickname is John and kids in our family would call him "Papa John or simply Pa John." Here in Korea, Papa John is the name of one of the best pizzas here and PaJon or Pa Jeon means vegetable pancake (or savory pancakes). Sorry, John. :)

Pajeon comes in numerous forms. It can be as simple as simply some leeks mixed with batter. Or it can come with lavish ingredients like sliced carrots, onions, mushrooms, zuchinni, etc. Others add seafood like oysters, squid, shrimp, etc. and call it Haemul Pajeon (Seafood Pancake).

Here's how you make Pajeon. Take a cup of korean pancake mix and add two tablespoons of Twikim Mix (Twikim means Tempura Batter).

If you don't have the mixes, simply combine 1 cup flour, 1 egg, 2 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp sugar.

In this Pa Jeon I decided I will add squid. So if you want squid, just have your fish vendor clean, gut it and take out the ink sac and beak. Slice up your squid into 1 inch thin strips.

Now get your Pa, no not your father, but your spring onions. Pa means spring onions in Korean, hence the name Pa Jeon. Get it? Now wash and thoroughly clean your spring onions and cut into 2 inch pieces. I used half of this bundle.

For oomph and color I added half an onion and half a carrot. I julienned these thinly and added to my mix.

Now put everything in a large mixing bowl and dump about a cup and a half of water. If you think your batter is too watery, dump some more pancake powder in. If it is too thick, add a couple of tablespoons of water. Just eyeball it and gauge it. That's how I do it, I don't even bother to measure it out. Mix thoroughly and make sure everything is coated with batter.

Now heat up some oil in a pan, swirling the pan around to let it coat the bottom evenly. When it is nice and hot, add a ladleful of mix and spread it out evenly (using the bottom of your ladle -> I've seen adjumas do this).

When the edges are cooked, flip them over. Cook this side for over a minute and then just slide the pancake onto a plate. Continue cooking your pajeon until you use up all your batter mix. Serve hot with soy sauce as your dipping sauce.

Here's my plate of Pa Jeon. Hope you like my tutorial. Bon apetit!