little nuggets

(taken at Soho hotel for my sis' and i's make up mentorship training. fun, awesome day it was).

photo by the ever pretty and nifty Gigi (my canon g10)


***

i am celebrating my successful feat over a research project weighing as heavy as myself. it was 6,600 words of academic research/assignment (medical journal sites such as pubmed and medline have been my constant internet trawls of late) that i thought i will never ever make the deadline. . but i did. and the funny thing was, it was a self imposed deadline two days before the real deadline because i wanted to have two days to myself (to just space out in the world, and feel slack).

so far, im enjoying it.


***

there are simply petty things thats been bugging me lately, and maybe because i am hormonal, or maybe because i have too much time on my hands that i am becoming petty.

case number 1: online sellers who i don't know keeps inviting me to be their "friend" in multiply. i have a few real friends that does online selling too, [which i like and believe in their products] and i'm friends with them, because i'm "friends" with them. but these invites are from total strangers.

i cant believe, that everyday i have an invite who i keep ignoring, yet keeps popping up. i dont mind them inviting me, but they havent seen my face pop up in their site, so im not really interested. and whether or not, will buy their products, if i was their friend, i will accept them. but not that way.


case number 2: a few online sellers are posting things like "selling Hermes bags with slight factory defect" at affordable prices. What the! Anyone who believes them are total mugs. there is no such thing as factory defect Hermes, as Hermes bags are all handcrafted in Italy..i wonder what these sellers are thinking, they dont even know about the product theyre trying to copy..if they researched, Hermes doesnt have a chinese factory, thats why have maintained they reputation and their enormous prices...they should just sell them and market it as "Hermes knock-offs"..maybe, some die hard knock-off buyer will buyit..not.


case 3: online sellers who keep tagging friends, or myself at FB...i keep seeing friends being tagged, and it irritates me. I know people have to make money for a living, i respect that, but im sure these friends of mine would want their profiles advertisement free (especially from knock-off Hermes bags,LOL). tagging is irritating at its best anyhow, esp if you dont know what photos of you they posted. can you imagine being tagged with buying these things that are not worth your time, or knock-off watches. if my friends wanted to buy them, im sure they would keep it to themselves and not the whole facebook community know about it.

but i love it when friends get tagged for albums im not supposed to see anyway as im not friends with their friends..i get to see them in "action", if you know what i mean. LOL.

i also loved tags of myself for invites to christenings, weddings, and good natured gatherings..these are beautiful reasons to be tagged for.


case 4: librarians who keep ringing me at home for books which are due a week from when they call. really.

her reason, to give me time to arrange return of books.

gosh, how will i forget to return big academic/medical books that sits on my dining table. repulsive things.

i cant wait to get rid of them. really.


case 5: people who book you for things and do not turn up.(or in my case, call on the day that its not happening due to some minor problem).

thank you for deposits. thank you for deposits.


case 6: people who change their wedding schedules (numerous times). sadly i am a multiple-roled-individual, and i cannot be hanging around the elusive date as it affects my 'other' dates too.

first, the venue they wanted is booked. fine. the second,the grandmother has a knee op that date cant attend the wedding. third, the change of date for grandma, caused problems with venue. toinks.

3x is enough already . after this, no more.

i'm only in this for fun.

if its not fun, 'not doing it.

thats that.



***

we have an overflowing garden of strawberries.

adrian and i have been round friends to share them as we cant eat two bags of strawberries everyday.

i wish you guys are near, i will definitely be round to give you a bag of strawberries and raspberries.


***

and thats that.

x

papa talk

i spoke to my mama for my regular sunday phone call with her. she told me that she and the rest of the family went to the cemetery to visit Papa's grave.

it pinched me. because God, how i wish i was with them.

my father died in January 2007,just after a great christmas holiday we spent with him, and after a promise that he was coming to visit me here in England.

but of course, he never ever had the chance to visit me. (which makes me sad). after we organised for the long arduous process of his passport, he died.

but not to dwell on my sadness, my father is a pinch in my chest. he is.

he was my first hero, and he could do no wrong in my eyes. even if he died no matter what age, whether at 100 years old, or his 57 years, he would still be a pinch in my chest to talk about and remember. people we love, we always wish and somehow mentally bestow immortality on them.

in my life as a blogger since 2004, i have spoken of my love of my father since i could remember although not solely, oftentimes my blogs are peppered with narration of adoration for the first man who had my heart.

he was and still is a pinch in my heart because apart from everything else, he was my driving force to everything i did in my life. i sought his approval for everything, from clothes, boyfriends (not that i heeded, but i sought his nod like crazy), and career choice.


my father was also my ally. my Mama and i, when we had our mini-quarrels, i ran to my papa. i always did. but my papa always sided with my mama, lol. but even then, he could do no wrong. he was still loved.

i always look forward to talking to him because he would always laugh on the other end of the line when i make jokes or make some weird comment about my new life in england and tell him of my 'weird dreams for the family'. and i love it, when he says on the phone "taod-taod na lagi ka wala katawag" / "its been some time since you phoned" even if the last time was a day ago.


and he would always say to my cousins jokingly "nindaot na lagi ka karl" "youve lost weight karl" everytime karla comes over. (he cant even see, he was blind!,LOL).


i dont know where this story is heading but this is important to me. because you, the reader has to know that for whatever i am now, and whatever i do, its all because there was a man named Celso who is beloved and is sorely missed until the day he would welcome me aboard in our maker's kingdom.


i am writing this because this makes me feel whole again.


and its because, there is one day that i am allowed to talk about the father who has long gone and yet still pinches the sore scabs of the heart left splintered the day he stopped breathing.








i miss him so much. there is not a day i am not reminded that he lived.

"The Rage" lechon manok (for T)

I dont normally post recipes. First because i know, i am not a seasoned cook, and secondly, most of my recipes are hand-me-downs by my mother which i consider sacred and exclusive.

Also, i had a bad experience of giving away a recipe to a friend, and i did not only end up without a 'thank you' but criticised my recipe saying when she tried it, it wasnt as good as the one she always wanted.

But because my friend T asked me to share with her my recipe for a "senior san pedro"-like taste of a baked chicken (note: senior san pedro is a lechon manok brand popular in cebu, which is very much has a distinct taste.. i tried experimenting and replicating it until i got the taste exactly to how i wanted it, which i thought somewhat similar to the taste, so just a note of warning, this recipe is not from senior san pedro the lechon manok brand, nor do i claim its the exact taste..i just feel it tastes like the spit roasted chicken popular in my region) , i obliged. I also said i will kill her afterwards, which she said, she didn't mind,haha.. (you can tell a true blue cook and a true blue foodie, when they dont mind dying and killing for the sake of a recipe,haha).

So, i am sharing this to all the readers who happen to pass by this blog too, as its no point of sharing it to one, since i'm sharing anyway.

My husband calls this The Rage Lechon manok as he said he could eat a whole one if no one stops him.

and he is not a fan of roasted chicken, but since he had this oriental taste, he since liked roasted chicken

Also a warning: this is quite a long winded process. so you need patience to cook this.

***

what to prepare:

for a piece of Large whole chicken:

Prepare the marinade:

2 oranges squeezed

1 lyme squeezed (if in the phils, lemonsito around 2 pcs)

2 stalks of lemongrass (cut in inches)

a pinch of dried rosemary (optional)

1 cooking onion/ sliced (this tastes sweeter than the purple one but you can use the purple one too if thats the only available ..

a few cloves of garlic (crushed)

around two to three tablespoons of oyster sauce

around 2 spoonfuls of soy sauce

***

onions, cut slices of lemongrass and pinch of dried rosemary

on the left: lyme..on the right: orange (both squeezed)

crushed garlic

oyster sauce

soy sauce (i know, silver swan right?lol) i love my earls court haunts for home stuff

***

Mix all of the ingredients and sauces, in a bowl, and put your freshly washed chicken in the marinade..

fresh whole chicken (not frozen).. (note: pat dry with paper towel after you wash..or the marinade wont soak)

marinate the chicken for 30 minutes to 1 side, and another 30 minutes on the other side

***

while youre marinating, preheat your oven to 190 degrees C (fan operated)

***

After marinating the chicken, place inside the chicken all the cut onions/lemongrass/garlic..

Place the chicken on a roasting dish and put in the top tray of your oven..Cover with aluminum foil

***

Cook for an hour..but every twenty minutes, take out to baste the chicken skin with the marinade sauce

***

After an hour, take out the foil, and cook for another 45-50 minutes, depending on chicken size (but basting the chicken skin every 15 minutes).

To know whether you've cooked enough after 45 minutes, slice the side of the chicken leg near the groin area, if blood still purts out, then you have to add another 10 minutes.

***

Serve..

**

in my own experience, the juices that come out of the chicken everytime you slice is worth the time and effort..

very juicy and pairs well with hot rice..and steamed vegetables and roasted potatoes or a jacket potato

***

Let me know how yours ended up..

***

Sorry T, i forgot to take a photo of the chicken after i dished out, i totally forgot that i was documenting for you,LOL.

***

i was trying to erase some pics from my camera to lull me to sleep and i found the photos which reminded me to post them,LOL.

the missing link

ask me how my inaanaks look like right now, and what they're busy about at this moment, i could generally tell you what they are doing. my kumares are very good at letting me know how the kids are and and are always making me part of the lives of their little ones, my inaanaks.

it also helps that i am connected with them through blogs and Facebook which makes it easy to browse through their photos and get updated.

but my niece,Mika on the other hand, who i love dearly, ask me how she is, i wouldn't be able to tell you much. ironic? say it again.

its not for the lack of trying, its just, theres not much news i could get from her parents. her dad/my brother is not the talkative type so his reporting style will be curt and short. plus, the people he talk to in the house aren't much of a reporters to me too (due to commitments). so what little they get from my brother on his visits to mama's house, it is compressed to very little back to me. my sister-in-law and my brother are at work, so she and my brother aren't on the computers much (esp. with a baby, who has the time?LOL).


in my breaks and when i have time, i continually browse through Mika's photos, old that that they are, but they're perfect for the meantime. They are something for me to hold on to, until i see her again next year.






the photos come from Ana's photos that i copied on my portable drive.

i scrounge for every piece of photos my niece has. like an addict looking for that last morsel of coke before the withdrawal symptoms kick in.


they'll do for now. they'll do for now.

India looms

***

photo: my visa for india..

***

for some time, i have had reservations regarding the India trip. If you know me, one of my greatest fears is visa applications anywhere in the world.

ive always find applying for one such a nerve wracking exercise, no matter what country you're applying to especially if you have committed to alot of people and being denied one always means disappointing the people you comitted to.

i always associate my visa fears to some traumatic experiences in the past. one is the last application for my sister's and my brother's visa to come and visit me in this country. it was longwinded and just too much bureaucracy. i know we all have to do it, but if you know in your heart these people arent intending to stay in the country they're visiting and still get such treatment like an illegal immigrant, its so frustrating to say the least.


but thats not my biggest visa story. There was one application in July 2005.

My cousin Joan was getting married in August that year, and she was so sweet, she moved her wedding to August, instead of their original plan so i could attend the wedding since i intended to come home that month.

Adrian and i almost were not given the visa/stamp. We were told that i lacked 1 document, (for the year 2004) even if i have given them all my payslips in all the months of 2004, and all addressed to the same address as that of Adrian's (we were living together after all,LOL).


I was quite upset because i had all documents except just 1 minor one (a utility bill) that i lacked because i thought i have given more than enough documentation and proof.


But the man wasnt satisfied. he said he couldnt justify that Adrian and i lived together and are living as Man and wife without that gas bill under my name in year 2004. (apparently they wanted 3 utility bills, i only gave two and a handful of bank statements and the whole year of payslips which were all under the same address).


If he had some common sense, he would know we were genuine. But of course, they are very bookish, and they stick to certain rules that they need to follow and boxes to tick.

We pleaded and asked him to please just stamp the visa, and that we have a wedding to attend in Cebu the week after and i wont be able to come back to the UK if the stamp isnt given to me, as my old visa will expire.

He wouldnt have it.

You know what happened next?


It was the first time i saw Adrian tearfully pleading to anyone a man at that and pleaded with him. My heart just leaped and felt sooo sorry for him. Here was my husband who is a well respected instructor, who has pride and self-respect, would plead to man (tearfully) and begging him to consider. (it makes me tearful everytime i remember that moment).

This was happening infront of a queue of people, who could see what he and i were doing as our voices were getting louder as the man was behind a glass enclosure.

I felt sorry for Adrian and my heart just got so crushed seeing my husband like that, who i know would never do that to anyone, but he did so that time, because HE WANTED ME TO STAY in the country.

What did i do?

I scooped the semi kneeling Adrian and hugged him (i didnt care what people thought, to hell with them that time), and i said to him "honey, you didnt need to do that.you dont need to kneel down and beg anyone for my sake.. dont worry, i will just phone Joan and tell her we cant go home as i need time to process my residency. i know she will understand", and gave the man behind the counter a dagger look. Adrian wouldnt have it as he feels letting Joan down, and the option would be to let me go home and stay for a few months while sorting the permit to come back which could take months or a year!

I eventually convinced him by telling him, id rather risk the ire of my family than leaving him on his own and not be able to come back for a time just so i could sort the visa. (i knew Joan would have understood).

I hugged Adrian (i was also crying this time) and told him were leaving and didnt give the man behind the counter any courtesy as he felt he didnt deserve it.


We went out, and just by the exit area, the security guard called us back. And we were asked to go to a different desk. The man who served us was there waiting for us, and said "look, im not supposed to give you a consideration like this, but how can you get me the document within today?".

as we live just under an hour away from Croydon we told the man we could get the document within two hours, he gave us a special pass to go and come back the very same day (not a usual happening apparently).

i dont know what changed his mind, but i have realised that once we stop bending over and foregoing our principles for the sake of bureucracy, things can still go our way.

Adrian and i did our part, the hell would i let my husband ask and beg for my sake and humiliate himself? I didnt have the heart to see him do that.

But after the incident the man saw beyond what alot of people only see, the age, culture and color difference,it all means nothing. Not when love is involved.

So visa and visa applications, theyre tricky. people who have the power to stamp your passports do not only need the basic intelligence to read your documents and applications, but also the common sense to read what goes on infront of them.


***

i am getting all emotional writing this down. its another humbling reminder how such one person love me to bits. and a beautiful reminder that i love him back.

with all my heart. fiercely.


***

im tagging you to write a moment in your life where love has more than proven itself to you.

you, who care to share.

***

[edit: i am going to india to photograph my friend's wedding and his brother's wedding, and a few days to go around see some sights..and on the way back to the UK, a stopover for a few days in Dubai to see friends..*excited*].

summer envy--no more

***

edited photo of my cousin K, in Boracay..(this was using the small digicam)..x


***


When my sister was here last March and April, she really was lucky to have been given a beautiful summery feel to April. (although the occasional cloudy days would resurface probably once a week/ majority of April was picnic and barbeque fun.

And then she went back home in May. The first two weeks were marred with showers and greyness. It was as if the sun hid because my smile did.

And then now, the forecasts have nothing been positive. We've been enjoying the sun eversince the start of halfterm/sembreak. Yesterday was even unbearable, we had to retreat to the mall after Adrian's minor surgery (nothing scary).

I have been having 'summer-envy' for the last few weeks, but now, its just only beach-envy.


Anyone care to bring me to the beach please?


***


We went to our GP today, for our vaccination consultation for our trip to India this August (pending on visa,haha). We were told that we need to have shots for diptheria, typhoid,tetanus,hepatitis,polio..and malaria tabs are needed too.

goodluck to my kidney and liver.

x


***


PS: do you know any acoustic band in cebu? ive googled and searched, i only came across guitarfest which is more of a rock-style acoustics.

im looking for acoustic bands/group that could play filipino/some english songs, preferrably for a wedding.

i one time saw an exhibit in SM for Cebu Guitar Association year 2002, and they had guitar players who were so talented. I wish, got their number.

No one seems to know.