Post birthday celeb

This year my father's birthday fell on a Thursday. But even though the storm had left the PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility) it was still raining heavily and flash floods still hampered our mobility.   So this weekend,  we had a belated birthday lunch to celebrate his 77th natal day.   Our go to resto for milestones and celebrations serves tasty yet affordable Chinese food.   

Habagat (Monsoon Rains) 2013

The rainfall started at a frequent rate last Saturday.  I was at a health clinic to get my blood tested for my cholesterol levels. Oh this reminds me I have yet to get my test results but I haven't been out due to the stormy weather.   

Sunday, we heard the 11 am Mass by then the downpour got really heavy so we rushed home after grocery shopping to stock up on supplies.  By evening, the precipitation got heavier along with strong winds which kept banging against the window panes.  Class suspension announcements were made by the various local government units.  

So D slept in Monday as the storm became stronger, causing massive flooding across the National Capital Region and neighboring provinces.  Every time the volume of rainfall got bigger, this was the scene outside our doorstep.

These were taken from the second floor of our apartment.  Kids just appeared out of nowhere and start playing in the massive 'swimming pool' on our street.

Yet every time I start to panic and think the flood level will increase and start seeping through our door, the rains took a break and it would quickly subside and the street was dry yet again.

I know I am lucky as I watch the news and see the devastation the storm Maring (along with the monsoon rains) caused on people living in low lying areas across the metropolis.  Wet, shivering and probably quite hunger, they are evacuated in rubber boats by rescue personnel.  At the local schools which are converted into evacuation centers, they have to contend with the crowded surroundings, common bathrooms and the lack of relief goods to alleviate their hunger.  

Tuesday saw the same cycle all over again. Heavy downpour with strong winds. Once again the capital was at a stand still as mobility was hampered with flooded streets, stranded commuters lined the streets as traffic jams prevailed.  It was total chaos.  Classes as well as work were once again suspended.  Miserable conditions all around. 

By the way, here are important phone numbers we should all have posted in our homes, and saved in our cellphones. 

 

Today August 21, 2013 is a regular holiday here as we mark the 30th death anniversary of President Aquino's dad.  Weather wise the rains are still quite heavy but less frequent. Some roads are now passable while some towns still remain flooded.  It is really quite bleak as we haven't seen the sun in five days now. 

As I type this post, I got these advisories c/o Twitter:

ADVISORY: Classes in PUP Sta. Mesa, Manila are suspended until tomorrow, August 22, following Mayor Estrada's announcement. #WALANGPASOK

Yellow Rainfall Advisory No. 28

Weather System: Southwest Monsoon (#Habagat) enhanced by
Tropical Storm “#MaringPH”
Target Areas: #MetroManila
Issued at: 04:30 PM, 21 August 2013 (Wednesday)

Moderate to heavy rains is expected over Metro Manila, #Bulacan, #Pampanga, #Rizal, #Cavite, #Bataan and portions of #Laguna, #Tarlac, #Quezon, #OccidentalMindoro and #Zambales and most likely to continue for the next 3 hours.

• FLOODING in low-lying areas may still prevail.

• ALL are advised to MONITOR the weather condition and watch for the next advisory.

Let's all hope and pray there will be an improvement in the weather. God help us, all.

Belgique

We were stationed in Brussels, Belgium from 1978 to 1982.   30 years ago but there are many memories from that period that stay in my memory warehouse. Naturally the feel good ones, for certainly there were some moments (i.e racial discrimination and bullying) I've long buried and hope I never get to experience again in my lifetime. 

During this rainy weekend, I caught a cooking show on TV Monde 5 (The French Channel) where the contestants were tasked to cook a dish from the tiny nation of Belgium. With a current population of 9 million citizens, the country is divided between the Flemish (the Dutch speaking populace) and the Wallons (the French speaking portion).  Its capital is Brussels and it has 3 official languages namely French, Flemish and German.  

My elementary schooling was in a Catholic institution where I studied, talked and even dreamed in French. But I was excepted from taking Flemish because I was a foreigner.   Belgium is famous for the Mannekin Pis, its waffles, Brussels sprouts and Moules et Frites (Mussels and Fries).  

Moules et Fries is one of my fave dishes.  I remember we would eat at this restaurant called "Chez Leon". It's quite famous for its wide varieties of cooked mussels.  You can order their steamed with white wine (my fave),  au gratin (baked with cheese), with tomato sauce or the classic steamed mussels.  It is normally served with a basket of thick potato fries and slices of bread which you can dip into the sauce.  Delish, I'd tell you.

So one of the contestants decided to cook her version of Moules et Fries. She mixed the shelled seafood with white wine and celery and her presentation was quite elegant.  And lo and behold, she won that category.  

It has been 30 years since we lived in Europe but on the few occasions my sister and I were able to re-visit Brussels and Paris, we always ate at "Chez Leon" for most of our meals.  To the point that if you prick us, our blood would be streaming with white wine mussels. :D

Just last year in HK for our Yuletide holidays, my sister had a surprise for us.  She took us to this restaurant near her office called "Frites" and it serves Belgian fare.  My parents and I were ecstatic as we feasted on mussels and fries while reminiscing about moments that occurred 30 long years ago.

Darkness falls

Last night while we were doing our usual online after dinner routine, the power supply suddenly went off.  Good thing I wasn't composing anything important because I wasn't able to save it. I was merely playing Candy Crush on Facebook as I'm still stuck at level 147 for almost 3 weeks now.  Grrrr!

So there we were fumbling in the dark, I reached for my cellphone so we could have some faint light to guide us through the room.  We got our always ready rechargeable lamp and switched it on so we weren't completely in the dark.

Last night was quite balmy (unlike the previous nights when the precipitation lowered the temperatures) and without an electric fan, my very active sweat glands were working overtime and I was sweating buckets + it is the 'time of the month' so perspiration galore for little me.  Not fun, quite unpleasant, cringe moment all rolled into one. 

By then it was already past 11pm and I was getting quite sleepy.  My ever loving hubby who knows I'm Miss Sweaty (not Miss Sweetie) took charge and starting fanning me while we were lying in bed.  Even though I felt like a lechon (roasted pig) being roasted, I'm just very grateful I'm married to a guy who understands my needs and my wants without any prodding from my part.  Thus no nagging needed!

Either I am that predictable or he is simply such an awesome hubby.  I believe it's the latter, don't you agree? 

It's in the jeans!

Yesterday at church, I noticed this young woman wearing a printed top with matching pants.  At first I thought she was wearing her pajamas until I realized this type of attire was the current trend in fashion.

When it comes to fashion, I prefer to stay in the safe zone.  I was brought up to wear matching colors.  Shoes and bags should be the same tone.  Keep it simple when it comes to accessories.  Do not draw attraction to yourself.  Clothes don't make you, personality does.

So when I see how fashion has evolved through the years, I feel 'old'.  Mismatched tops and bottoms, shoes and bags give me the hives.  I tried it once just for the heck of it but I felt so uncomfortable I wanted to shrink and hide behind a closet or wear a blanket over my outfit.   

One of my staple outfits is a top and jeans.  Yet skinny jeans and leggings are not part of my wardrobe.  For one, I am too short to pull it off. Second, I equate leggings with sleep wear.   Third, I no longer belong in the hip category range.

My jeans are straight cut, sometimes a bit of a flare at the seams.   Now that I'm a lot lighter, I get the impression I'm now wearing what you call "mom jeans".  Nothing wrong with them (it goes with the adage that you should 'act your age') but the thing is I'm not a mom so why should I wear them? :D

My options are to get them 'fixed' or buy new ones.  Let's see if my budget cooperates with my plans.  

Roulade, Terrine and Pavlova

Usually after dinner, I like to chill and watch TV shows.  If there is nothing to view on the telly, the alternative would be to park in front of my PC. Normally I would view one whole season of my fave programs.  I was done with my medical drama (Grey's Anatomy), scandalous politicking (Scandal) and spies thrillers (Homeland, The Americans).

So I turned my focus towards the yummy world of cooking shows.  Top Chef, MasterChef US and Australia and Top Chef Masters.  Programs which feature the culinary expertise of ordinary folks as well as experts in the food industry.   Most of them cook with ingredients I have never come across and use fancy terms to describe their dishes.

I only cook simple Filipino fare like Beef Kaldereta, Beef Steak Tagalog along with my experimental dishes which I concoct at the drop of a hat.  The hubby has not had any food poisoning experiences based on my cooking so that is a good sign.

To satisfy my gastronomic senses, I tune into people that cook recipes I would never get to taste let alone afford those fine dining cuisine.  Most of them look 'simple' enough but boy they take a lot of prepping combined with creative imagination to look so delectable in their presentation.

The above picture is a screenshot from the finale episode of MasterChef Australia the Professionals.   It looks so yummy, doesn't it?

Watching these cook shows late at night does not bode well for my diet.  Thankfully, I have a strong will power and I am able to control myself from ransacking the pantry or the ref for a sinful midnight snack.   

Living within your means

Saving was not part of my vocabulary when I was growing up abroad.  We were not wallowing in wealth but I like to think we were better off than a large majority of the population.   A bulk of my dad's income was spent on family vacations. We might not have invested in a house & lot back home but I can enumerate 20+ cities we traveled to in Europe and Asia for leisure purposes.  So much so that when we had to go home for good, we spent a number of years renting instead of owning the places we lived in.

As fate would have it, I married a guy who lived an *austere lifestyle*.  Contrary to popular belief that tertiary instructors earn big bucks, it has been quite a task for me to budget his income.  Sometimes there would be days even weeks when his salary would be delayed (apparently it's normal for state owned universities) for various reasons, so I would have to dip into our savings to make ends meet.  Not to mention the period when he took out a loan (for our fertility treatments) payable for 3 years and 1/4 of his salary was automatically deducted.

Therefore, I have been highly conscious of ways on how to live within our means.  I am mighty proud I am able to implement these measures without breaking into sweat. For someone who easily perspires, it is a big deal!

Here are some tips:

• Cut your utilities cost.  I noticed that we barely watch TV so I checked out the website of the Cable TV we were subscribed to and went for their most basic plan.  The number of channels are limited but most of them were the one I frequented so it fit my viewing habits. Instead of paying P780.00 monthly our cable TV bill is fixed at P499.00.

• Whenever I don't use an electrical appliance, I unplug it from the electrical socket. Even when I just go down to cook or have my meals, I unplug the computer, the DSL modem as well as the electrical fan.  The same works for when I go back up I unplug everything downstairs.

• Be sure to open all the curtains/blinds in your home so you won't have to switch on the light fixtures.

• Most of the time, I eat lunch alone.  So I stack up all the dishes with dishwashing liquid in a small pail and wash them later after dinner along with the pots and pans I used for cooking.

• I use ratty old clothes as rugs.  I do have many old clothes which no longer fit me.  I cut them into large square pieces and use them to dust off furniture and appliances on a daily basis.

• Aside from rent, we spend most of our meager income on food. Grocery shopping is much easier when you have a list of items to purchase.  I have this rule when the contents of a food item is less than my thumb that is the time to replenish so I add it to my list.

• I always buy sachets. Aside from the fact that they are cheaper, they are also lighter and not too heavy to carry in your tote bags.

• In my opinion, promo priced items are not necessarily better.  For instance, some products come with an attached 'free' item such as a can of corned beef with a free sachet of chiz wiz.   Or those 'buy one, take one' promos, I stay away from them.   I always feel guilty when I have to throw away these free items since we don't patronize them.  Since I went on a diet, I have to stay clear of dairy products plus having an extra can of corned beef is not feasible since we are only two in this household.
•  Always check the expiry dates of every food item you buy.  When arranging your pantry, put the items with the shorter expiry dates in front so you dispose of them first.
• I always cook vegetables first once I reach home. They tend to perish right away and when kept longer in the ref, they get all 'wrinkled'.
• Make sure to squeeze out every single bit until the last drop from the bottles of condiments, hair products, dish washing detergents etc etc.    Heck, I even use tiny pieces of soap, as long as they still have bubbles to lather, I'm game. :D

Well these are the tips I can conjure right at this precise moment.  If you have some more tips, do share.


*I love my husband and I don't mean to belittle his income but it is just the way it is.  When I first talked to his mother (based in the USA) over the phone, she told me they weren't well off.  I replied it doesn't matter, really.   When in truth I wanted to tell her in jest "hindi naman po pera ang habol ko sa kanya, kundi ang kanyang matipunong katawan" he he he.    

Memories that remain

This is one of my favorite ABBA songs.

She sings about a summer fling in Paris.

It reminds me of someone really special,

who shall remain nameless.

I still think of him often.

More often than I care to admit.

Perhaps too often than it is permitted.

It was many years ago.
Yet I still get nostalgic about it.
I remember it with fondness.

Our Last Summer

The summer air was soft and warm
The feeling right, 

The Paris night did its best to please us
And strolling down the Elysee
We had a drink in each cafe

And you
You talked of politics, philosophy and
I smiled like Mona Lisa
We had our chance
It was a fine and true romance

I can still recall our last summer
I still see it all walks along the Seine,
Laughing in the rain
Our last summer