Friday, May 28, 2010

Memorial Weekend...

I started out my chores early today. Did a lot of client calls and follow up on leads and learning that either the project was put hold or worse we lost on the bid. Tsk tsk tsk...Oh well, gotta keep hanging on...

In my opening conversation a client-friend, I greeted him happy long weekend because of the Memorial Day celebration on Monday. By the way, how do you greet somebody about this holiday? Do you say “Happy Memorial Day”? Halika nga. Himayin natin itong holiday na ito ng mga Kano.

“This holiday originated in 1866 after the long and bloody Civil War between the North and the Southern States of America. Waterloo, NY drugstore owner Henry Welles got an idea when surviving soldiers came home with missing limbs and stories to tell. He suggested that all the shops in town close for one day to honor the soldiers who died in the Civil War and were buried in the local cemetery. On May 5, people brought flowers and wreath and crossed to decorate the graves of the Northern Soldiers. Major General Jonathan Logan on the other hand, planned another ceremony, this time honoring the surviving soldiers. They, too, went to the cemetery to decorate their comrades’ graves with flags thus giving birth to what they call “Decoration Day”. It was declared then by General Logan that the 30th of May 1868 be designated for the purpose decorating the graves of the fallen soldiers in defense of their country and whose bodies now lie in almost every city.”

“The two ceremonies were joined in the same year and the northern states commemorated it on the 30th of May. In 1882, “Decoration Day” was changed to “Memorial Day” and soldiers who died in the previous wars where honored as well. At first, it was designated a public holiday only in the northern United States. President Nixon, in 1971, declared the last Monday of May, as Memorial Day which is now a federal holiday and celebrated by the whole nation.”
-rephrased from Beverly Hernandez, About.com, “Celebrate Memorial Day” article



We Pinoys have a similar holiday in the Philippines. It is called “Araw ng Kagitingan” which falls on April 9. We too celebrate the bravery of Pinoy, Chinoy and American soldiers who endured while a lot died during the 90-mile walk called Bataan Death March. I remember this very well because of the war stories my father told us. My father, the late Ramon Bergonia, was a member of USAFFE during WWII and was with that death march. He was able to escape when, one of their rest stop, something grab the attention of the Japanese guards. With the Jap Soldiers distracted, my father escaped by jumping into a ravine, running and rolling with bullets whizzing left and right. An old couple found him later in the bottom of the ravine and nursed him back to health. He was suffering from malaria during the march.

We all celebrate the Memorial Day one way or another. We probably have love one/s that died in the service or are presently in the service. Or just love ones who passed away already. Let’s keep praying for safety for those who still alive and relive the wonderful memories left behind by those who have passed on.

Have a wonderful weekend. I will be back on Tuesday with another dish for you to try. Godspeed!

Thursday, May 27, 2010

Excuse me, your english is showing...

Nakakatawa talaga when you try to translate something literally from one language to another tapos it came out somewhat wrong. Have you ever had that experience? Well, if not sorry for you! You're missing an opportunity to laugh at yourself.


Well, I did have one episode last night. I was on my way to the grocery to buy some beer (they say a bottle of beer is better than a glass of soda. I couldn't agree more!) when I noticed that the car on my right doesn't have his head lights on. So I rolled down my window and said to the guy “Excuse me! You don’t have a headlight”. I was supposed to say “you don’t have your headlights on" but it came out wrong. Hindi ba sa Tagalog we say “ Wala kang ilaw” and if you translate it to Cebuano you translate it as it is: “Wa kay suga”. And my brain did just that, translating the sentence directly to English so it came out “you don’t have a headlight”. Well the guy understood me anyways, thanked me, turned on his lights and went his merry way. After the episode, my brain started to analyze what I said and I suddenly realize that I had another spoken language mishap.

I remember a joke when I was still working with PLDT and assigned to the province. I have this co-employee who one day remarked, kiddingly of course, “buti pa itong mga bata dito sa Iloilo ang galing magsalita ng ilonggo. Ako ang tanda ko na di pa ako marunong magsalita nyan.” It’s so funny di ba? But somehow that statement is true here in the US. Not that I don’t know how to speak the language. Goodness! English is our second language in the Philippines. I aced several of Ms. Gasingan's (my english teacher) periodical exam in high school.  I am even tell the some of the people I had the pleasure of working with that wherever you go in the Philippines, you won’t have a hard time (well little I guess) communicating because, english-barok or what, the locals have some command of the English language. Try going to the Thailand or China or some other non-English speaking country and for sure, you’ll find yourself doing some sort of a sign language.

I am so amazed about the children’s brain and how quickly they absorb knowledge. My girlfriend’s niece and nephew were both born in the Philippines and just moved here in the spring of 2007. The boy was just 5 and the girl was 3 then. At first, the boy had a little difficulty communicating with his cousin who was born here in the US and the girl is just starting to learn how to talk. The long and short of it, both now speak English flawlessly complete with the twang and idioms and day-to-day conversational English. They still understand Tagalog but not after asking “what” first. As for us “older” people, a friend once made a comment saying that our English is too formal. Probably so. We learned it from school. And this is the reason why we are so prolific a writer but poor conversationalist. At least I am. I know I can write better than most of the people I deal with but when it comes to just having a chat with them. Oh goodness! I have to compose something first in my brain before saying it out loud or else, I will have another “No headlight” incident.

Moral or the story:  Help is understood in any language.  Also, chat more with your friends even if you sound silly at first.  You'll get the hang of it sooner or later.

P.S. My gratitude to my followers who I found out just now that I already have two. Thanks Nori and Nancy.  Spread the word. It’s nice to have some audience for a change. Godspeed!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Arroz Caldo ala Pobre and ala Sosyal

Sigh!!! My laziness is starting to get the best of me.  I know i can continue with this blogging thing. Siguro I am just tired due to my activities last night plus I had less than the required number of sleeping hours.  Anyways, I have to shake this.  Otherwise, I won't be able to finish this blog...

The end of May is fast approaching.  Barely a week remains on the 5th month of the year.  Another month and we're halfway down 2010.  Ano na ba nangyari?  Anong bago for 2010? I was really hoping when 2009 ended that 2010 will be better than the previous year.  Tsk tsk tsk.  It was worse!  The only project that we were able to land is still up in the air.  Well, at least, we were paid 50% of our fee.  But we're more concerned of being productive rather than staying home and act like pensioners.  Teka! My business partner is already on pension.  Ha ha ha!!! Ako lang pala ang acting like a pensioner.  Talking of my business partner, he is such a sweet person.  When I came here in the US, he was the one who acted as my father here.  He signed up for my first apartment, my first car, basically everything to help me with get settled here in the US.  Kaya even if he is super kulit to the max (tama ba yung expression ko?), I consider him as my second father, a friend, a confidant.  In the event that we have to close shop (I hope not!), for sure, we will still be in constant communication. 

Going back...This year I think I really hit bottom.  I am literally scrapping the bottom of my financial barrel.  Konti na lang baka di na ako makabayad ng bills ko.  But you know what?  For some reasons, I am still able to!  I am then reminded of a line from a Christmas song:

"And when we worry and we can’t sleep
 We’ll count our blessings instead of sheep
 And we’ll fall asleep counting our blessing"

"And when our bankroll is getting small
 We’ll think about the time when we had none at all
 And we’ll fall asleep counting our blessings"
                   - from "Christmas Medley", Ray Conniff Singers, 1962

There are times when in the middle of the night, I would wake up and then worries take a grip on me, especially when I think about the financial quagmire I am in right now but I will not delve into details.  Don't get me wrong.  I am not looking for symphaties for my situation.  I do just fine, thank you.  But what I want to drive at is that when you're on a crossroad with one leading to despair and one hope, choose HOPE.  I don't know why I am blogging about this but if this will help at least one person nearing despair, I'm urging him: DON'T!  Help is on its way.  I promise you!!!  Up to now, nababayaran ko pa naman ang bills ko.  I still have a roof over my head on which our loan by the way, we were able to modify, and bring down our monthly payment by as much as 81% of what we used to pay.  Talk about GRACE!!!  If that's not a BLESSING, then what?

Recession, recession, recession.  That's a topic for another day.  For now, as promised, I am posting the recipe for Chicken Arroz Caldo ala Pobre and ala Sosyal.

 CHICKEN ARROZ CALDO ala SOSYAL

 The Ingredients
1/2 cup regular rice
1/2 cup malagkit na bigas
1-1/2 lb chicken wings, cut into 2 pieces OR
             chicken legs cut into 3-4 pieces
2-4 Eggs, boiled
1 head Garlic
1/2 medium Onion
1 tbs finely chopped Ginger
fish sauce, pepper, saffron flower, onion spring
5 cups water
calamansi or lemon

Brown about 3/4 of the finely chopped garlic. Set aside. Saute remaining garlic, onion and ginger and chicken. Put the regular rice and malagkit.  Add fish sauce to taste, mix and simmer for 5 mins. Add water and stir for 10 mins. Add boiled egg, pepper, saffron flower and onion spring.  Serve in a bowl, sprinkled with browned garlic and with calamansi or lemon on the side.


CHICKEN ARROZ CALDO ala POBRE
Substitute the regular and malagkit rice with 2-1/2 cups of left over rice, the chicken parts with chicken bouillon.  The boiled egg is the main "meat".  Cook as directed above. Kung walang itlog, pwede din.  Lugaw na tawag dyan. :D


Another blog has ended, another one to start.  I hope you, my good readers, will spread this around.  And please click and check out the ads I placed within my blog.  This could help me earn a living..he he he...Godspeed.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Best Lumpia Ever?!?

I just finished reading some of the comments from my FB friends particulary high school batchmates and I think it's worth mentioning their names BECAUSE THEY TOOK THE TIME TO READ MY BLOG!!!!...(clearing my throat and composing myself)...and take you very much dear friends, Norie, Lilet and Nancy for egging me to continue with this blogging thing. It is now proven!  Oh what a simple gesture of encouragement can do!!!! Moving on...

I promised yesterday that I will post the Lumpiang Gulay Recipe ala Caloy complete with Sauce.  This is a very versatile dish because from the base dish, you can create other dishes like Pansit Bihon, Pansit Canton, Pansit Canton/Bihon, Lumpiang Prito or just plain Ginisang Gulay (sauteed vegetables).  You can serve it with Wraps or just the sauteed gulay which we Tagalog aptly calls Lumpiang Hubad (Naked Vegetable Roll? he he he)


THE INGREDIENTS
For the Sauteed Vegetables:
1/2 lb Diced Pork about 1/2" cubes
1/2 Skinned and Deveined Shimp (keep the head and skin)
1/2 medium size head of Repolyo a.k.a Cabbage - julienned (ginayat ng manipis)
2 medium size Carrots - julienned
2 medium size Singkamas a.k.a. Jicama - julienned
1 lb Baguio Beans a.k.a. Green Beans - julienned
1 lb Mongo Bean Sprouts
1 cup Tofu - diced 1/2"
Mustasa Leaves (Mustard Leaves or Go Choi I think is what they call it in Oriental Store)
2 heads Garlic - finely diced (set aside some for sprinkle)
1 medium sized Onion
Crushed Peanuts
Salt, Pepper, Fish Sauce
EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) or just plain Mantika
Boil  the diced pork in water with a little salt until pork oil comes out and brown it. Set aside.
Mash shrimp head and skin and milk it. Set aside.
Saute' in EVOO 5 cloves of garlic, diced onions, shrimp. When shrimp turns color, add browned pork. Add 2 tablespoon  (or to taste) of fish sauce. Stir then add carrots, green beans, singkamas, mongo sprout and repolyo. Add shrimp sauce. Sprinkle freshly ground pepper to taste.  Cover and cook for another 10 minutes. Drain.

For the Sauce:
1/4 cup Soy Sauce
1/3 cup Sugar (brown or white, doesn't matter)
4 tablespoon Corn Starch
1- 1/2 cup Water
1 tablespoon diced garlic
Use a medium size sauce pan. Boil water then add sugar until dissolved. Add soy sauce. Dissolve Corn Starch in 1/4 cup water then add slowly stirring the sauce over low heat. Stir constantly to prevent lumping. Add the diced garlic. This is to give the garlic taste without adding fresh garlic on their lumpia. Add  a little more soy sauce and sugar until desired taste is achieved.

For the Wrapper (if you dare make some)
1 Egg
1 cup Flour (all purpose)
1 cup water
Butter
Mix all ingredients until texture is smooth.  Butter lightly a non-stick pan and heat it up.  Brush mixture onto the pan. Lift wrapper out carefully when dough starts to come away from the pan.  You can make about 10 wrappers from this mixture.

OR

Just buy Lumpia Wrapper from the Grocery.  Pahihirapan mo pa sarili mo! Don't strain yourself.

SERVING
Wrapped
With the wrapper done (or bought), lay one flat on a plate, place a mustard leaf on top and put about 2 to 3 tablespoons of filling on top of the leaf depending on how big your wrapper is.  Roll the wrapper and seal with a little water and place edges down.  You can either top it with the sauce sprinkled with the finely diced garlic and crushed peanuts or it on the side.
Naked
Just serve on a plate either topped with the sauce/garlic/peanuts or serve it on the side.

VARIANTS
To make this into pansit, just add your favorite noodle and voila! you have your chow mein.

To make fried lumpia, just dump the wrapped lumpia (sans the mustard leaf) into a very hot oil, fry and serve with suka, garlic and soy sauce combination.

OR, you can just serve it as it is.  It's already a dish on its own.  Pwedeng samahan ng prito/inihaw na isda o baboy.

So there you go.  I hope you will try this dish. Kainan na!!!!

P.S. Thanks Nancy for being the first follower of this blog!!! 

Tomorrow: Simpleng Arroz Caldo

Monday, May 24, 2010

Long Delayed Postings

I was supposed to start this blog of a day-to-day recap of my life living in the US of A. Unfortunately, hectic schedules and heck, laziness, got the better of me last year so I was not able to do so until now. To be honest, I still feel lazy blogging in. Wala naman kasi akong maiku-kwento eh! Nothing really worth telling. Whenever I'm being asked how am I, the usual response would be "Ok lang. Ganun pa din"...Sigh!!! Why is it like that? I wonder....Is my life really that inconsequential? Anyways, (here we go again), I will not promise but I will try, to post something worth telling. You may be asking what? Since I am being told that I cook well, I guess I could blog about that. I know, I know. There's already a lot of cooking blogs all over the Net and this idea is not the first one. But heck, this is my blog and I can post whatever I want. Well, actually not everything really. Anyways, I have a lot of time in my hands due to a very slow business nowadays, I think I can do that, meaning do something worthwhile instead of playing golf on WII or Texas Hold-Em on Pokerstar.net....

So what menu should I post the first time. Hmmmm..... I've been asked several times about my Lumpiang Gulay and it's sauce. I don't know but it seems like my girlfriend Muriel's HS classmates who are also my friends now (she even says they treat me more like their classmate than her. Can't really blame them. I'm lovable you know...ha ha ha) love this dish especially the sauce. Nothing really fancy about it. So i guess for tomorrow, you will be seeing the ingredients and directions on how to prepare the dish and it's sauce. Should I post pictures and video as well? What do you think?

So there you go. I have my first blog for 2010. Hooray!!!!