Oh, Iñigo

Yesterday, my two-year old (and three months) boy left me in awe once more after counting (with some coaching) from 1 to 20. At this point he is also able to say the names of six shapes, circle, triangle, square, rectangle, star, and cross. At mornings, I'd usually hear him pointing to stuff in the room and asking himself, What shape is the teewee (TV)? Then answering "Rectangle!" What shape is the electric fan? "Circle!" What shape is the clock? "Circle!" He can also recognize colors on his toys and saying the colors out loud, red, green, blue, yellow, pink, purple, orange, etc.

Interestingly, my husband and I never really pressured him in learning those things. We make him watch educational DVDs (we don't have cable) and even us would watch with him. From time to time, we'll tell him what's on the screen or just repeat what the narrator says. His books are also full of things to learn from. He likes choosing what book to read himself. I'm just glad he's turning out okay and I'm happy that he's so interested in learning and studying. I guess this work-at-home set-up is for the best!

Ten years ago

I hate this picture of me, but at the same time, I love it. I love that my eyes are closed and the wind is blowing strands of hair on my face. This was taken exactly ten years ago by my friend, H. We were on a trip to Chiang Mai together, a province in the northern part of Thailand. I was so young then and adventurous that I took a teaching job for about 9 months, away from my friends and family. H. was just visiting that December of 2002 and so I met him in Bangkok with his friends and we all went to a week long vacation to the cold province of  Chiang Mai. I had lots of fond memories of the trip including good and cheap food, seeing elephants up close, trekking, flying a humongous paper lantern at night, shopping, and learning and practicing the Thai language.

The next year, I went back home, fell in love with the guy I wanted to get married with and gave him this photo of me with the words of the Chilean poet written at the back:

"Laugh at the night

at the day, at the moon,

Laugh at the twisted

Streets of the island

Laugh at this clumsy

girl who loves you,

But when I open 

my eyes and close them,

When my steps go,

When my steps return

deny me bread, air,

light, spring,

but never your laughter

for I would die."

Pablo Neruda

Ginisang Patola with Misua

Before my mood for documenting my cuisine specialties expires, let me tell you about a recent favorite dish of my son. He likes soup generally, which I mix with vegetables and rice for more nutrition. He doesn't mind the vegetables but his appetite for rice is quite sporadic. Everyday, I would plead him to eat carbohydrates, be it bread, noodles, or rice, because I'm always worried he's not getting enough of this, just look at his thin built. Anyway, here's a recipe that he loves so much.

Ingredients:

Patola, sliced in quarters

Garlic, chopped 

Onions, chopped

Misua (Egg noodles)

salt & pepper to taste

2-3 cups of water

1. Saute garlic and onions

2. Add in patola

3. Add some water then put a little salt and pepper to taste

4. Add the misua

5. Simmer for a few minutes until noodles are cooked.

6. Let cool a little before serving.

For dinner, he finished this bowl and asked for another serving of about the same amount as this. Yahoo!

Yummy Tom Yum Goong in an Instant

I've been up since before 4am to catch up on some backlogs that have accumulated last week, maybe the week before, when I. got sick. He had flu for days, it was awful and very tiring time for the three of us. But I'm not about to blog about such unfortunate events, besides, I'm not in the mood for ranting. I want to write about my favorite Thai dish recipe, Tom Yum Goong.

Ingredients:

100 to 200 grams of shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 to 3 cups of coconut milk
3 tablespoons of Tom Yum paste (I use the Thai Heritage brand)
Mushrooms (Straw mushroom is ideal but oyster or button is ok, too)
String Beans
Eggplant
salt
lemon

This is so easy to make and yummy in the tummy (if you're a fan of Thai dishes)! Because of the Tom Yum paste, you are spared from a number of steps, plus you don't have to chop certain ingredients like onions, tomatoes, ginger, and lemongrass!

First, pour the coconut milk (you can use a canned one, if preferred) in the pan. Put three tablespoons of tom yum paste then dissolve it a little. Set the fire to medium heat to dissolve the paste some more. Let it simmer. Add the shrimp (you can also use chicken breast fillet, sliced in small pieces, and it's equally yum!). Add a little water if you like it soup-ier. Add salt to taste. Make sure the meat is cooked before adding mushrooms, eggplant, and string beans. Don't overcook the veggies. Squeeze half lemon or to taste.

While I'm trying to figure out how to copy my photos from Instagram, here's a photo from Satay.com. Happy eating!

Selfless

I remember it was around October in 2010 when my Mom first left for the States. She was granted an Immigrant Visa from being petitioned by her brother in 1987. Yes, that's about how fast the system works. I was really excited for her. It's probably her first time to ride a plane and travel that far in years. She's in her mid-sixties and deserves this kind of vacation after being a housewife to a husband and five children for almost three decades. I grew up watching and eventually learning household chores from her.

I think I was already in my twenties and working when I asked my Mom why she chose to be a housewife. She had a career in teaching and a UP graduate, as a matter of fact. She replied she couldn't focus on working away from her child. Eight years after she quit her job as an English teacher in Don Bosco, I was born---the third daughter, like her, who could not bear to be away from her child to work. My Mom was the first person I called when I learned that I was granted permission to work from home. She was delighted more than I was.

Last Friday, my Mom left again for the States and this time, we were a little bit sadder. We were reminded again of my Dad, who was still alive the first time she left. My Dad passed away while Mom was abroad and grieving then was a little hard for all of us. We decided not to let her come home during the funeral as it might just drain her terribly. When she came back months after, all we did for a good long while was to cherish pleasant memories of my Dad. She says she prefers being reminded of when he was alive and not of his sufferings.

Being a plain housewife didn't prevent me from seeing my Mom as a woman of strength and wisdom. I am happy that she's found happiness and enriching experiences in travelling. I am glad that she's making her life more meaningful not only to us, her kids and grandkids, her siblings, but most importantly, for herself.