Sticking Together

“It could have been fatal had you waited another 8 hours to bring your brother in.”

This was the statement given by the attending physician as he went through the initial medical tests of my dear cousin, T.

For close to three weeks, T was confined in the ICU.  Oxygen and dextrose lines, heart and BP monitoring devices were attached to him.  He could hardly move and breathing was difficult.  His family kept a tight watch over him.   Without much ado, whatever differences they had with each other was quickly set aside just as quickly as the deadly bacteria took hold of my cousin. They shared one prayer—T be given the grace to get well again. During those uncertain days, love was the only force that gave the family the fortitude to take each day as it came.

Be Cool: A Story in 3 Parts

First Part of the Story

10PM.  I received a call on my celphone.

A PAL call center agent was on the other end.

“Please be advised that your 8:30AM flight to Naga tomorrow has been cancelled. Passengers will be rerouted to Legaspi at 1:30PM,” he said.

At first, I politely asked him for the reason.

Airport closure? No.

Bad weather? No. 

Aircraft trouble? No.

When the Living is Easy

The sea was very close to where I grew up in Cebu.  So close was the pier to our house I could hear the deep and lonely blast of a ship’s horn late at night as it got ready to leave port.  If I imagined hard enough, I could hear the ship’s porter’s warning call, “pwera besita, pwera besita”.

With such close proximity, it was only natural for my parents to bring us to the popular public black sand beaches of Talisay (famous for pinasugbo- bananas dipped in dark and thick sugar glaze) or brown sand beaches of Liloan (famous for whirlpools and rosquillos- a round, scalloped edge sweet biscuit) in the summer. 






 In the 1970s, when barges made it possible to cross over, the white sand beaches of Mactan Island became our favorite summer playground. 

A Gem of a Valentine

I gave in on Valentine's day.  Yes, I accepted the suggestions of my hubby to once more get outside help. 

For a little over a year now, my hubby and I have managed to take care of house chores by ourselves.  When my last helper bid good-bye, we felt that we had had enough.  Although we were grateful for their assistance in running our household, we wanted to experience what it would be like to manage our house by ourselves. 

Good Morning Katagbakan

It's already past six in the morning and the temperature continues to be chilly in my grandparents’ (mother side) farm.



There are tiny dew drops on every leaf in the surrounding garden. An early venture out of the house meant coming back with wet slippers and toes.

When I was so much younger, I remember my uncles getting ready to check on the farm right after drinking a cup of steaming coffee. That was at 4:30AM! Now that they are in their 80s, they take their sweet time swapping stories on the balcony and wait for trusted workers to come over to the house with crop and cattle report later in the morning.



The kitchen is slowly filling up with the sweet smell of burning wood as preparations for breakfast gets underway.



Soon there erupts a combination of squeak and squeal from the pigpens and the cackle of chickens as they anticipate the approach of a younger uncle with their morning meal.



The floors are quickly given a good sweep and the contents of bedpans quickly disposed of.



Before long, a hearty breakfast is ready and a call goes out through the house for everyone to come to the table before the food gets cold.



My grandparents are no longer around but I still feel their presence-- specially my grandmother. She's watching over us as we share stories of time past, present concerns and plans for tomorrow.

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Just recently, I asked the origin of the name “Katagbakan”-- the name given to the area where my grandparents’ farm is located. I was promptly shown the “tagbak” plant that grow all over the area. (Tagbak is a stout herbaceous plant growing to a height of 2 to 4 meters, with stout rootstocks).



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A lot of meals have come out of my grandmother’s kitchen. A gas stove and oven had been installed sometime ago but it seldom is put to use. Instead, a wood-burning, three burner iron stove continues to be the work horse of choice.

Many outside help have been employed to do kitchen duties. Their number would swell during celebrations. At present and for the last 10 years, “Ibyang” has taken on the task of coming up with daily meals for my aunt and uncle and the occasional visitor. Although physically challenged at a height below 4 feet, she manages to cook up a storm on the iron stove while standing on a small stool. Because of her happy disposition and infectious laughter, one would not know of the many heartaches and hardships she continues to face. Putting on a wide smile and with pride, she comes out of the kitchen with dishes taught her by my aunts. Recipes of which were handed down by my grandmother.

Below, are just some of dishes she prepared while I was visiting. Unfortunately, she could not give me exact measurements as everything is by “feel” and ingredients added on to taste. Surely a good reminder to live life with spontaneity rather than following a step by step measured plan.

Sliced Eggplant with Minced Pork



4-5 eggplants, sliced
About ¼ kilo of pork, minced
Sliced Garlic & Onion
Soy sauce
Salt and pepper

Soak sliced eggplants in water with a little salt. In a wok, sauté the garlic and the onion. Add the minced pork and continue to cook. Drain the eggplants and add to the wok. Add soy sauce, salt and pepper. Soy sauce should be an amount that would bring the dish to a uniform brown color. Serve with lots of steaming rice.

Native Chicken Tinola



1 native chicken, cut into serving pieces
Tanglad
Sliced Ginger, garlic & onion
sili leaves
Small green papaya, peeled and sliced
Salt and pepper

Boil the native chicken in plenty of water. Add the tanglad, ginger, garlic and onion. It’s tough so this will take some time to become tender. Lower heat to a simmer. When chicken is tender, add the sliced green papaya. Cook until papaya is tender but not mushy. Add the sili leaves, salt and pepper. Turn off heat when leaves start to wither. Serve hot with lots of rice.

Pata with Kangkong



1 pork pata, sliced
Tanglad
Sili espada
Garlic
Onion
A bunch of kang kong
Salt & pepper

Put pata in a pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and immediately throw out the resulting broth. Return pot to the stove and add new water. Add garlic, onion and tanglad. Bring to a boil then lower heat to a simmer. Continue cooking until pata is tender. Drop the kangkong leaves; sili espada; add salt and pepper to taste. Turn off heat when kang kong leaves have withered somewhat. Serve hot with lots of rice and a side of fried dried fish (daing).

Roasted Eggplant with Coconut Cream



4-5 eggplants, roasted and sliced up after burnt peel remove
Sliced Ginger, tomatoes and onion
Sliced Green onions or leeks
Coconut cream (the 1st squeeze from grated coconut)
Salt and pepper

Place the sliced roasted eggplant in a bowl together with the sliced ginger, onions, tomatoes, green onions, coconut cream, salt and pepper. Toss around until everything is well coated with the coconut cream. Chill before serving. Best served with grilled meat or fish.