Friendship across the Miles Series: A Home Away From Home

“You didn't have to be so nice
I would have liked you anyway
If you had just looked once or twice
And gone upon your quiet way…”   The Lovin Spoonful

Asking for a favor let alone asking to stay in someone else's home in America (or anywhere else for that matter) does not come easy for me.  But with friends like D, there was no hesitation, no second thought to send off a quick email to make such a request.

"Hello D, would it be possible to stay at your place for a few days while I wait for my mother and sisters to arrive at a later date?", my email read.

D's response came soon after, "Yehey!!! Yes I will pick you up and you can stay with us for as long as you like :-) ”

The smiley face at the end of her message sealed it for me.  The stress of finding hospitable accommodations was replaced with happy anticipation of seeing a true friend and her family again.

DFA: A Test of Patience

I just recently finished getting my expiring passport renewed.

There’s good news and there’s bad. 

Lost in America

“See you later,” was the last thing I said to my sister, V, as she and my mother sped off after dropping me at a mall.  I had been handed my mother’s celphone and some pocket money.  I was all set for the afternoon.

For a time my attention was drawn to a shop that carried every conceivable kitchen gadget and more. Fancy cupcake holders, fold-away kitchen implements and the sharpest knives to die for. These were as tantalizing as jewelry would be to my mother and sisters. But like jewelry, they were all nice to look at but had hefty price tags. Time to move on.

And moving on I did—to another mall over at the other side of the highway.  After crossing to the other side of the street under a cruel sun, the cool air of the mall felt delicious! I walked around for awhile marveling at the many offerings.  As always, the food outlets were the ones that held my attention. Like the Godiva Chocolate store with their free samples.  This was one merchandise I could splurge on and not feel guilty.

It had been about 2 hours since the time I was dropped off by V and thought I’d check the celphone for any messages.

There were no messages but I was alarmed at the “low bat” notification that was flashing.  Calmly, I immediately started to text V that  “if I loss contact, I would be waiting for her at the…..” The celphone automatically shut down before I could send my text.

O oh! I waited a few seconds before turning on the phone again. But before it could power up, “Good bye” popped up.

This was not good at all.

I found a bench and sat down to take stock of my situation. 

Hmmmm… celphone is dead; can’t remember any contact numbers; can’t even remember home address.  I was in deep trouble.

I had to reach V soon before she started calling me. I would not want for my mother to worry.

I started to pray as I searched for a communications company selling celphones.  Maybe they might have a charger for my phone; maybe they could dig out the numbers stored in the cel’s SIM.  Maybe…

Not too long I came across an AT&T kiosk.  When a sales rep became available, I quickly explained my predicament.  My mom’s cel was an old model and they did not have any charger.  And although the SIM was purchased from their company, the sales rep soon found out that all phone numbers were saved on the phone’s memory and not on the SIM.

I then remembered that my sisters had iphones and could get emails. Maybe I could reach them via email.  When I brought the idea up to the sales rep, he said he would be glad to help if I could supply him my sisters’ email addresses. 

Once more, I hit a brick wall.  I imagined kicking myself for not being able to remember this important information. I asked the sales rep if I could get into my email account on his phone. My sister’s email address along with the email addresses of other family members would easily be available.

“Sorry, I can’t let you do that as I would loss all my data,” was the sales rep’s response.

“Do you know if there are any internet cafes in the mall?”, I asked.

“Sorry, we don’t have internet cafes at this mall,” was his answer.

And just as I was starting to loss hope, he said, “But you could easily access your email account if you visit the Apple store around the corner,” he continued, “all their demo units are connected and they wouldn’t mind if you use one.”

I thanked him profusely and hurriedly walked to the Apple store. 

The store was full of customers and there were no sales rep available to help me.  Seeing a vacant stool and a laptop, I immediately typed in my email address and password and quickly shoot off a message to two of my sisters—V and M.  In a matter of seconds, I get a response from M.  And as fate would have it, M was leaving her office and could pick me up in 15 minutes.  M then called and advised V that she was taking care of me.

There were no words to describe the flood of relief that washed over me as I waited the few minutes at the perfume section of a large retail store in the mall where I had agreed to meet up with M.

My smile was so big when I caught sight of M walking towards me.  I was like a little kid who was being picked up after the first day of school.  I would not leave her side.

We passed for some pizza on the way home where we popped the cork of a bottle of sparkling wine to go with the stories that went around the dinner table that evening.  It was the perfect ending to another unforgettable experience.

Being with family or friends in a foreign setting should not have been enough reason for me to forget basic rules on keeping essential information accessible. At all times!

Battery life of celphones should be checked.

A short list of contact information (could be the size of a calling card) should always be placed in one’s pocket or purse. Several lists should be prepared and placed in all carry-on containers/bags.

An ID card or a copy of ones passport would also be most helpful should inquiries about citizenship come up.

When you plan to be on your own, always leave a message with someone of your whereabouts and the estimated time of your return. In the case with my sister, we should have agreed that if communication becomes impossible, we meet up again at a specific time and place.

The only recourse when all else fails: Pray for safe travel and guidance to be able to calmly think of ways out of any predicament.

Least I forget, besides a full battery load on ones celphone, every excursion should start with a full belly. The better to keep one energize while taking in the sights.

For convenience and the American experience, there are the many quaint diners.  A favorite with my sisters is Mel’s diner.  There’s 50s and 60s pictures and memorabilia on the walls. And every table has a miniature juke box where you can drop a quarter to play a favorite tune.  

I always end up picking an Elvis song to go with my ham omelet and pancakes.  Yum! 

Then again, on Saturdays, my sister M wipes up her own version of a big American breakfast: bacon, eggs, sausages and some tomatoes and cucumbers on the side.  Perfect with brewed coffee and soft bread rolls.

Go on, try something big next weekend. before venturing out on your adventures.

Endless Possibilities

It started with the question over dinner with my kids: “Where shall we go for the Holy Week?”

Options were brought up, scrutinized and dropped… visit to China town (been there), Intramuros (done that), tour the lake towns of Laguna (traffic), Tagaytay and Baguio (NO! that’s where everyone goes)

Then I mentioned my grandma’s farmhouse in Leyte and my two kids sat up with interest. It’s been 5 years since their last visit and it was only right to renew ties with the relatives plus there was the chance to make a short visit to Samar. A quick check with the airfare prices proved that travel to Leyte via Tacloban was do-able and best of all affordable.

In the week that preceded our travel, I had bought a Leyte-Samar map and arranged for a van rental.



My daughter came up with our Samar itinerary and my son promised not to do any dangerous stuff that young men like to do on vacation—like swim, run or walk too far out into the unknown.

In the three and a half days together, I have discovered that:
• The San Juanico bridge can give the San Francisco Bridge stiff competition in awesomeness.



• There is so much beauty in our country. Samar may be labeled the poorest of the provinces but nature has endowed it with beautiful beaches and green landscape. Tourism possibilities seem endless.



• Europe has some of the most beautiful churches but are often times empty and sad. In contrast, Basey in Samar has a very old and dilapidated church whose bell tower is overrun with ferns and pews eaten away by termites.



But the fresh flowers



and the chorus of voices enacting the way of the cross attest that the faith is very much alive in this poor part of the country.



• There are so many delicacies made special in Leyte. Here are just a few:

 Batingkol- made from grated gabi and wrapped in banana leaves-- similar in taste as the binagol but less sweet.

 Binagol- made from grated gabi (talyan), eggs, sugar, peanuts and condensed milk and packed in a coconut shell



 Moron- made from glutinous rice, condensed milk, suar, margarin, cocoa powder, grated coconut and peanuts. This is wrapped in banana leaves and steamed.



 Salvaro- a sweet kind of bread with bits of grated coconut



 Suman Tinipa- two types of glutinous rice is used and entwined in banana leaves.

• My kids are truly grown up by the way they shook the hands of relatives. I proudly listen to my son and daughter as they share their opinion on what’s happening in the world with uncles and aunts.

• My kids are still kids by the way they still enjoy being spoiled by their mother. “Can I have some ice cream mommy?”

• My mother and her siblings may have discovered the secret to eternal youth. Simple living and limit beer intake to 3 bottles--- after 3 bottles, no more limit (thanks Tita C for that advise)

• I never tire of the stories told and retold on my grandma’s porch.



The shared experience of growing up together in the most pitiful conditions made for a strong family unit. This has been tested time and again in sickness, in financial strains, and in the simplest need for an understanding presence.

• In order for the family ties to stay strong, there is a conscious need for children to know their roots.



• Age is just a number. It’s hard to believe that my mother and her siblings are in their 70s and 80s. Their laughter rings with youthful vigor.



• The cycle of life continues. My cousins are slowly taking on from their parents the responsibilities of running their family’s farm.



• Having and using a chamber pot (arinola) in the room needs getting used to. But it beats going to the toilet so many steps away in the dark with a “tuko” hovering over the door.



• Fear can hold you back from a beautiful experience. Am glad I gave in to my kids and went with them on a two hour trip around the most fascinating rock and islet formations along the shores of Marabut, Samar.



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Sometime ago, I took the challenge of preparing the tedious but delicious Suman Tinipa. If you have time on your hands and have eager assistants, do give in to this challenge. Don’t let the fear of the unknown stop you.

Suman Tinipa (recipe taken from "Saru-saro Kita! 100 nga mga Kaluto ha Leyte" )

1 1/4 kilos white glutinous rice (busag nga pilit)
1 1/4 kilos violet glutinous rice (tapul nga pilit)
3 cups thin coconut milk (lapsaw nga hatok)
3 cups thick coconut milk (tuno)
1 kilo brown sugar ( pula nga asukar)
2 T salt (asin)

For wrapping:
banana leaves (wilted to be more piable) (dahon han saging)
string (higot)

Procedure:
Soak the white and the violet rice separately for 30 minutes.

Cook the white rice with the thick coconut milk. When almost done, add salt.Remove from the stove when cooked. (You may use rice cooker)

Cook the violet rice with thin coconut milk. When almost done, add the sugar. (Add sugar only when the tice is almost done otherwise it will not get cooked)

Entwine the violet and white rice in the banana leaf. Roll.



Roll up the banana leaves and tie by twos.

Place in a pot and add 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil and steam until done-- about 40 minutes.

Paseo

"Come on kids," called my father. "Let's go for a paseo."

Quickly, sometimes forgetting a slipper or to brush our hairs, my four sisters, 2 brothers and I climbed into the car, jeep, panel— whatever vehicle my father owned or was assigned with at the time he said the magic word—"paseo". This was a word synonymous to adventure. In our child's mind, we did not care how we looked or dressed. What was important was that we were ready for adventure in our ride around our town. There was no telling what we would see or experience along the way—a new neon sign, maybe some barbeque on a stick or boiled peanuts bought at the park, or just the chance to be the first to seat by the open window and feel the rush of the wind in our tangled hairs.



Every now and then these "paseos", with the able assistance of my mother, would become the never-to-forget, one-of-a-kind outings in the summer of my youth—a trip to a small town on the outskirts of the province to look at an old church; a tour to the Southern tip of our island; barge rides to access secluded white sand beaches; rough terrain that was considered to be a road to my grandmother's farm hidden up in the mountains; a ride on a motorized banca to reach a sandbar in the middle of the deep blue sea.



That was a long time ago. Now I continue the “paseos” with my children. And I am glad to report that they are certified bitten by the "paseo" bug. Indeed, travel, even local in scope, opens one's senses to the beauty and wonder of life.

"….life is a journey not a destination. Life is about wanting to experience the world and its myriad of colors with your own senses."



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Do you want to be adventurous but have a cautious nature? Well, I have just the recipe for you. Green Bellpepper Soup! This was a favorite of my father. It has lots of vitamins and it's so easy to prepare.

Green Bell pepper Soup

You will need:
2 green bell pepper, sliced into strips
2 tablespoon of ground beef
2 cloves garlic, sliced thingly
2 tablespoon of sliced onions
2 cups broth (you may use a beef or chicken buillion cube & follow the directions to make the broth)
sale and pepper

What you need to do:
Saute the garlic, then add the onions. Once the onions are translucent, add the beef and stir it about. When cooked, add the broth and let simmer. After 5 minutes or so, add the sliced bell pepper. Continue to simmer until the pepper is tender but still holds it's shape.

Season with salt and pepper. Savour the new adventure in taste.