Curbside Stories

It has been more than a week already since super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) made two land falls in the Southern part of the Philippines, particularly in Samar and Leyte. Since then, the lives of many, not only in the Philippines but also from around the world, has changed. While the Visayas region was busy preparing for the typhoon, I was with my family, tucked safe and sound in the comforts of our homes in Luzon. Although the weather bureau warned us of storm signal number 1, it was relatively peaceful during the day. It was only at around 7 o'clock in the evening when the heavy rain poured with gusts of wind, but, it was not enough to cause me to be awake the entire evening. Nobody  really knew or has not anticipated how strong the typhoon was until the news broke in the morning that most of the provinces in the Visayas region, especially Leyte, was severely damaged. The super typhoon literally flattened the entire province, leaving more than 4 thousand people dead and mill...

How would you like to be remembered? Just got home from the cemetery. It is All Saint's Day here and we (all of my relatives) went to the mausoleum of our departed loved ones. Today is a special day because it is the only time of the year that we get to be with all our loved ones, both living and dead, in one place. This is also true with other families as well. I snapped photos of beautiful flowers in the mausoleum and the sunset with some inspirational quotes.

St. Helena with Constantine. Each year, during May, in almost every town in the Philippines, there is a Santacruzan . It is a parade commemorating the pilgrimage of Reyna Elena (St. Helena) to Calvary, together with other reynas  including Mary Magdalene, in finding Jesus' cross. This Catholic tradition is usually celebrated every 3rd week of May. The Tres Marias. Reyna De Virgines. Reyna Divina Pastora. Traditionally, the Santacruzan is arranged in this order according to WikiPilipinas: Methuselah  - a bearded old man cooking grains of sand in a pan over fire. He represents the transient of life... the return of all things to ashes and sand. Reina Banderada  - a young woman wearing a red gown and carrying a triangular flag that represents the coming of Christianity. Aetas  - they represent the Filipino pagans before the coming of Christianity. Reina Mora  - represents the dominant religion before Christianity. Rein...

In the Philippines, aside from summer being the season to enjoy the beach and the pool, it is also the season for young boys to undergo a ritual... a passage into manhood... circumcision. It is commonly done every summer since there are no more classes. Circumcision is the removal of the foreskin that covers the tip of the penis. In other countries, it is done before a newborn leaves the hospital. In the Philippines, it is commonly done to young boys of age 10 to 14. Parents who choose to have their sons circumcised is often based on religious beliefs, hygiene, or social and cultural reasons. My nephew just had the ritual. It was hilarious. But, I am proud of him because he took it like a man. Next school year, he can now boast to his male classmates that he is no longer a baby but an adult... an adult who is ready to take more responsibilities.

It's been a while... My younger sister gave birth to a healthy boy last October 22. He looks like my son when I gave birth to him. He is too cute for words! How I wish I could carry him. They are living in another country so we'd probably see him when he is already walking. I brought up the news to dad and he asked why I didn't name my son that starts with "J"... I broke the unwritten rule... his  name starts with "J' and so are my sisters, brothers and nieces. A few weeks ago I have been busy going around town meeting new faces, meeting clients and taking driving lessons. I don't know if I mentioned in this blog that I promise to have a driver's license before I turn the big 3-0. Yep! I already know how to drive. I'll get my non-professional license before the end of this month. SO HAPPY! We had a Halloween party in our grandmother's house. It was organized by my cousins. They all wore costumes, we played games, we sang a...

When somebody compliments you about a job well done, the way you look or your beautiful shoes, how do you respond or react? It is just recently that I have learned to accept the compliments. And there is a solid reason why I did not years back. Whenever someone would give me compliments, I would say "oh, it is nothing" or "not really".  Find out what is the Pinoy’s Negation technique when receiving compliments! Not all Filipinos would accept compliments without negation. And that is what I have learned to not do anymore. Accepting or receiving compliment is not being conceited or arrogant... it is in fact, acknowledging the sincerity of the person giving the words of praise and confirming that indeed you made an effort to do a great job or to look good. So, the next time you are being complimented of something, smile and say "thank you!".

Photo from here . If you are one of the millions who await the kissing of Prince William and Kate on the altar, sorry, they won't kiss . Apparently, it is not customary in England churches. When Prince Charles and Princess Diana wed, the world also did not witness any kissing, but, they did kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace. And it will happen again on Prince William and Kate's wedding.

Last Sunday, February 28th, our barangay celebrated the Feast of St. Augustine of Hippo. We always celebrate it every last Sunday of February. It is something that I personally look forward to each year because   I get to witness what Filipino hospitality and religious devotion is all about. Young boys carry on their backs the statue of St. Augustine of Hippo and parade it around the whole barangay . Elderlies danced on the streets following St. Augustine wearing the Philippines' traditional baro at saya . We call this tradition karakol . It is a colorful form of thanksgiving dance practiced in all parts of the Philippines for their patron saint. Anyone can participate, even if you do not know how to dance.

Another no fuzz Filipino dish--pork adobo!  While riding the jeepney on the way home, I was thinking of cooking adobong sitaw (string beans) with ground pork but when I got home, I don't have string beans in the fridge... so I ended up cooking pork adobo. It is my son's favorite dish. In fact, even in the wee hours he would ask me to cook adobo. For me, it is his way of making lambing so whenever I see or eat adobo in other places, I always associate it with my cute and lovable son. Photo from here . Here are the ingredients: 1/2 kilo of ribs or pork belly cut into 3x2 size 3 tablespoons oil 1 red onion, diced 4 cloves garlic, diced 1/2 cup soy sauce 1 cup vinegar 1/2 cup of water 3 laurel leaves (bay leaves) salt and ground pepper to taste Here's how to cook it: 1. Heat skillet and pour oil. Saute onion and garlic. 2. Add pork, water, soy sauce, vinegar, pepper and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes or until the pork...

Photo from Mister Greeting Card . Happy New Year to all our Chinese brothers and sisters from all over the world. To the Chinese, the year of the rabbit officially starts when the clock hits 12:00MN. If you have missed the New Year because of whatever reason (lame), you can still celebrate the new year tonight. Did you receive any nian gao (tikoy) today? According to Wikipedia , eating nian gao has a symbolism of raising oneself higher in each coming year. If you haven't eaten a nian gao, it is a sticky rice cake. In Chinese tradition, nian gao should be given as this is also considered good luck. If you bought a nian gao for yourself, better give it away and wait for other persons to give one to you. It actually makes sense because the famous saying goes, "it is better to give than to receive."

It is cold and windy so I decided to cook something that will warm the stomach... pork sinigang (pork in sour broth). Sinigang can be cooked in different ways and ingredients but generally, it is cooked using sour ingredient as the base like tomato, tamarind, camias (ginger lily) or miso. Photo of my pork sinigang fresh from the pot. It's still simmering. Here are the ingredients: 1/2 kilo of pork liempo (pork belly) cut into small pieces or 1 kilo of pork ribs 2 cups of string beans, cut into 5" length 2 medium sized eggplant, cut diagonally into sections 2 medium size white radish, cut diagonally into sections 4 pieces okra, cut in halves 6 pieces gabi (taro), cut into small parts 1 bunch kangkong (river spinach) leaves, young parts are cut off the stem 2 medium onions, diced 4 medium tomatoes, diced 3 green chilis (Hungarian variety) 2 liters of water 1 pack sinigang mix (because squeezing the tamarind juice is so 1900's)  Here's how to cook it: 1. In a pot, ...

Hi! How's your Saturday?  Nothing too magnificent or odd happened today... I just cooked my son's favorite tinola (Chicken ginger stew) for lunch only to find out that we will go to my cousin's 18th birthday party at noon. We ended up not eating the tinola like what we had planned. On the brighter side, we had a feast. When I say feast, I really meant feast. My cousin served grilled chicken, pork barbecue, kare-kare and lumpia as the main entree and slices of sweet seedless watermelon for dessert. Yummy! Oh, I almost forgot, grandma cooked again her famous yellow rice which made us full big time. The tinola ... we had it for supper. If you want to try it, here are the ingredients: 1 whole chicken cut into small parts 1 small papaya or vegetable pear (sayote) cut into small pieces 1/2 cup chili leaves 1 chicken cube (optional) 1 onion, sliced 3 cloves garlic 1 small ginger cut into strips 2 tablespoons cooking oil 3 tablespoons fish sauce or patis 1.5 liters of wa...

Photo from here . The year 2011 is the year of the rabbit.  According to the Chinese zodiac, people who were born on the year of the rabbit are known to be articulate, talented and ambitious.  Rabbits are also known to be calm, sensitive and compassionate. They are also financially lucky (I think it has some association with their ability to reproduce). It is no wonder why the lucky colors of the year are green, orange and purple... the most common colors of paper currencies. If you are born on the year of the pig, sheep and dog (like me)--this year is your year!  So, make the most out this luck, pursue your dream of having your own business (talking to self) and remember that we will never know if we will fail or succeed unless we try. Have a prosperous new year!

In just a few days, we will be saying goodbye to 2010 and we will welcome 2011 with a bang (literally and figuratively).  I actually feel like it is 2011 already each time I wake up.  Yesterday, after office, I went to the market to buy a horn for my son.  He's only allowed to make noise on New Year for his safety.  And besides, I will not buy firecrackers so noise would be enough for us to celebrate it. Aside from Christmas, the most awaited celebration in the Philippines is the New Year.  In fact, some families have more preparations for New Year than Christmas.  Aside from celebrating it with firecrackers and noise, Filipinos have other beliefs and customaries at New Year. Photo from here . You will never see a household without a basket of 12 rounded fruits.  It is actually not hard to find 12 rounded fruits in the Philippines because our country is a fruits basket in itself.  The most popular fruits during New Year are (1) watermelon, (...

Photo from here . Do you think of New Year's resolutions as early as now? I haven't thought of it... in fact, I don't do resolutions.  I don't think resolutions to be better should be ritually done every New Year because we can start changing ourselves for the better any day even without an occasion.   I remember when I was in elementary up until high school, during the last day of school before Christmas vacation, my teachers would give us an assignment (yes, they are so cruel).  On the first day of classes during the new year, we will have to submit our New Year's resolutions.  If I have known that year after year I will have to do the assignment, I should have kept the first one that I made and just copy it year after year.  It is hard to do a resolution.  It is just like having a debate to yourself that you should be better in this area of your life and it is hard to negate oneself.  Listing the whats becomes even harder when your inner self ...