Pre-retirement days meant there were schedules to follow: the daily commute, meetings, deadlines, performance discussions and the never ending events to manage. Twenty-four hours did not seem enough.
At present, I admit that there are plenty of days with no specific agenda on my plate but there is plenty to keep me occupied: prayer and reflection, weeding my little garden, going thru my collection of recipes, calling my mother, answering the crossword puzzle (lots of time needed)… and the list goes on. Regrettably the days go by just as fast.
Pre-retirement days meant not paying attention to the cost of chicken or whatever took my fancy at the supermarket. Buying came easy with no second thought about budgets to follow. Money was not an issue.
Now-a-days, I keep to a budget, check out chicken prices and think twice before I buy a trinket. (Do I REALLY need another one?) No need to get another pair of office pumps with killer heels or “borloloys” to jazz up my look in the kitchen. Thankfully, with prudent use, I hope that money will not be an issue.
In the past, my purpose was to contribute to keeping the corporate alive. At present, I have found joy in using skills honed during corporate life as a volunteer in my parish scholarship committee. The scholarship program is open to children of a nearby squatter community.
Only recently, I got involved in a Lenten Recollection organized by said committee for these children. Just like corporate days, the group plunged into the planning and the execution of said event. It was just like the “old days”—program flow preparation, set-up of venue, logistical checklists, and even a de-briefing afterwards. There were three priests that facilitated the event where 83 kids showed up. Most of all, the assessment made by these children indicated that they had a good time and learned a lot. The little we did was greatly appreciated. I could not help compare this with the many complaints I used to hear from participants in more lavish corporate events. How ironic indeed.
Can I sustain this way of life? I’ll be sure to let you know.
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Preparing for an event, big or small, is like cooking a dish. You need to know what, how, when and even why you will cook a particular dish. You have to ensure you have all your logistical requirements: ingredients, cooking utensils, and work force. Lastly, you have to be open to feed-back in order to assess whether it is a dish worth improving or serving again.
The following recipe will give you a good appreciation for the need to be organized:
Chinese Lumpia
Ingredients:
¼ c cubed shrimps
1 c grated carrot
2 c grated coconut heart of palm (ubod)
2 c grated tokwa (firm tofu)
1 large onion, minced
4-6 cloves garlic, minced
1 c julienned cabbage
1 egg, scrambled, cooked and chopped
Native lettuce leaves, washed and dried
Fried sotanghon
Peanuts (pounded)
Brown sugar
Celantro leaves
Lumpia Wrapper
Optional:
Chopped celery
Chopped cucumber
Bean Sprouts
Sauce:
½ t Fish sauce (patis)
2 t Soy sauce (toyo)
1 T Brown sugar
1 c water
1 t Corn starch
In a small pan, bring to simmer the water, patis, toyo, and sugar. In a cup, mix together the corn starch with 1 tablespoon of water. Add this to the simmering mixture. Stir until mixture has thicken. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Pour into a small bowl.
Bottle of hot sauce
Procedure:
1) First Saute
a) Divide the onions and garlic into three portions.
b) Saute 1 portion of the onion and garlic with:
i) Carrot
ii) Ubod
iii) Cabbage
c) Set Aside.
2) Second Saute
a) Saute 1 portion of the onion and garlic with the tokwa.
b) Set aside.
3) Third Saute
a) Saute 1 portion of the onion and garlic with the shrimp.
b) Set aside.
4) Mix all of the sauted ingredients and the chopped scrambled egg in a big pot.
a) Season with salt, pepper, fish sauce, and soy sauce.
b) Set Aside.
5) Set-up
a) Place a lumpia wrapper on a plate
b) Put a lettuce leaf in the center
c) Pile two to three tablespoon of your filling on top of the leaf
d) Garnish with pounded peanuts, sugar, cilantro leaves and crispy
fried noodle and other optional garnishings.
e) Roll up the lumpia, make sure you tack in the corners to seal.
f) You might want to use two wrappers to ensure that the lumpia does
not burst.
6) Condiments
a) Prepared lumpia sauce
b) Hot sauce
So go ahead, organize a lumpia party and have your guests involved in the preparation. Not only will it be fun but the final assessment will surely be: Delicious!!
Note: proportion of ingredients may be adjusted to fit your preference. If you like togue more than the other veggies, go ahead and make yourself happy.
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