Mga Aral Mula sa Magulang - Filipino Parenting

I can almost (I said almost) relate to this forwarded email. I still believe that most children still hear this from their parents. There will be no translations because it is humor that only Filipinos can understand.

But then again, I didn't turn out so bad, did I?

Hinding-hindi ko makakalimutan ang mga mumunti ngunit ginintuang butil na payo na nakuha ko sa aking mga magulang:

1. Si Inay, tinuruan niya ako HOW TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.

"Kung kayong dalawa ay magpapatayan, doon kayo sa labas! Mga leche kayo, kalilinis ko lang ng bahay."

2. Natuto ako ng RELIGION kay Itay.!

"Kapag yang mantsa di natanggal sa carpet, magdasal ka na!"

3.Kay Inay ako natuto ng LOGIC.

"Kaya ganyan, dahil sinabi ko."

4. At kay Inay pa rin ako natuto ng MORE LOGIC.

"Kapag ikaw ay nalaglag diyan sa bubong, ako lang mag-isa ang manonood ng sine."

5. Si Inay din ang nagturo sa akin kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng IRONY.

"Sige ngumalngal ka pa at bibigyan talaga kita ng iiyakan mo!"

6. Si Inay ang nagpaliwanag sa akin kung ano ang CONTORTIONISM.

"Tingnan mo nga yang dumi sa likod ng leeg mo, tingnan mo!!!"

7. Si Itay ang nagpaliwanag sa akin kung anong ibig sabihin ng STAMINA.

"Wag kang tatayo diyan hangga't di mo nauubos lahat ng pagkain mo!"

8. At si Inay ang nagturo sa amin kung ano ang WEATHER.

"Lintek talaga kayo, ano ba itong kuwarto nyong magkapatid, parang dinaanan ng bagyo!"

9. Ganito ang paliwanag sa akin ni Inay tungkol sa CIRCLE OF LIFE:

"Malandi kang bata ka, iniluwal kita sa mundong ito, maari rin kitang alisin sa mundong ito."

10. Kay Itay ako natuto kung ano ang BEHAVIOR MODIFICATION.

"Tumigil ka nga diyan! Huwag kang mag-aarte na parang Nanay mo!"

11. Si Inay naman ang nagturo kung anong ibig sabihin ng GENETICS.

"Nagmana ka ngang talaga sa ama mong walanghiya!"

12. Si Inay naman ang nagpaliwanag sa amin kung anong ibig sabihin ng

ENVY.

"Maraming mga batang ulila sa magulang, di ba kayo nagpapasalamat at mayroon kayong magulang na tulad namin?"

13. Si Itay naman ang nagturo sa akin ng ANTICIPATION.

"Sige kang bata ka, hintayin mong makarating tayo sa bahay!"

14. At si Itay pa rin ang nagturo kay Kuya kung anong ibig sabihin ng RECEIVING.

"Tatanggap ka sa 'kin ng hinahanap mo pag dating natin sa bahay!"

15. Si Inay naman ang nagturo sa akin kung ano ang HUMOR.

"Kapag naputol yang mga paa mo ng pinaglalaruan mong lawnmower, wag na wag kang tatakbo sa akin at lulumpuhin kita!"

16. At ang pinakamahalaga sa lahat, natutunan ko kina Inay at Itay kung ano ang JUSTICE.

"Isang araw magkakaroon ka rin ng anak, tiyak magiging katulad mo at magiging sakit din sa ulo!"

Oooppps, they did it again!

This time for a shorter period, 2 days, I'm talking about my internet connection. Our service, AGAIN, was suspended for non-payment, and AGAIN for the same reason.....the bill was not delivered on time. Sometimes we feel that they do it deliberately. Not that Cablenet gets anything out of it because as far as I understand, there's no reconnection fee. Only the inconvenience of not having internet connection while they are resolving the matter. Resolution means that they either send us the bill, finally, or check their records thoroughly. I'm not well-versed in this matter as the bills are paid in T's office. The procedure is for the bills to be delivered here at home, so I can check that they are correct (which I honestly do only erratically) - plus I really want to monitor our utilities usage - then immediately handed to T, so he can pay it in his office, together with other utility bills. Reconnection is therefore handled on T's end, why I don't know if we pay a fee for it or not.

Before I continue, let me digress a bit by saying that T hates to owe anyone anything, personal favors included, if can be helped - and that includes financial institutions. Talk about us living within our means. I didn't have to adjust on this part of his personality when I married him because my grandfather is exactly the same. Amazing how 2 culturally diverse people can be alike in so many ways. In both cases, credit card bills are paid on time...the moment they arrive and the whole amount to boot, no minimum payments for these two. I remember when my grandfather gave me my first brand new car as a gift that took a loooong time to process (imagine my agitation) because he wanted to put down 80% down payment and the balance to pay in one year - soured the deal for most financial institutions as they won't get anything out of it....just paper work. I have a feeling I'm worse though because if it's not something I can pay in cash, then I don't buy it. Simple shopping mantra by the way...for a shopaholic...no cash-no buy...no cash-no buy...ohhhmmmm.

I used to joke that the banks might not consider us to have a good credit standing because it would appear that we don't have credit ha-ha.

So just imagine us living in a country where most bills are delivered after the due date where we have to pay interest or penalty fees...just because_______ (I'll leave this blank because dog knows what's going on at their end).

An interesting case in point... Adolfo our driver has added another task to his multi-tasking list. Not only is he V's driver, body-guard, friend, soccer mom, cheerer, our part-time gardener, all-around fix-it guy (around the house), pet groomer...he has started a bill pick-up service too (well, just for us). For the past 3 months the social security bill has been consistently arriving past the due payment date and the succeeding bill always reflects the penalty of late payment. We have talked to them many times about this and yes, the famous shoulder shrug at its most elegant, is what we get. We just have to pay...regardless. Asked why that is, I swear they really gave this answer: there's no one to deliver! My Spanish may not be perfect but it's advanced enough for me to understand that one!

So having been defeated by the system, I have decided to have him pick-up the bill if it hasn't arrived on a given date. Yes, I succumbed (head hanging low). This means that every month, we now have to go to their office 3 times (well, once in the bank to pay). 1. to pick-up the bill; 2. to pay it; and 3. to verify payment - a week or so after (so the empleados can use their seguro anytime when they need it) where they have to stamp or sign or whatever it is they need to do with the papers to reflect updated payment.

Now, I only have to compute my gas usage to see how much damage it's doing me...hmmm. At the end of the day, my costs doesn't really matter as I don't want to give them the satisfaction of conducting business without scruples. Right now I am in Nicaragua, yes, but I would have done the same if I am in the Philippines - but then this I haven't experienced there. For all the Philippines' faults, at least customer service is highlighted and short of bending over backwards we try to resolve matters in a positive manner or at the very least try to give a proper answer instead of just shrugging our shoulders. I Should know...I worked in Sales / Marketing / Customer Service all my working life while I was there.

Havaiana brouhaha

This post is probably anti-climactic as the brouhaha might have died down by now but here it is anyway. I have come across some funny questions when I was home last summer...after all, it's not every day someone comes home from Nicaragua or Central America, of all places. To qualify, it took me and V 3 days of travel, crossing 2 continents where we had to get off the plane in 5 cities and required to re-check-in our luggage in 2 of them . Please don't ask me how much it cost us...it was obscene and I will not do it again.

A friend asked me if I have brought Havaianas with me ...uhhh, I don't think I am allowed to bring exotic fruits, vegetables nor plants with me...so, no. As that what it sounded to me, something exotic to eat. Havaianas I found out are some fashionable flip-flops from Brazil which was all the rage in the Philippines at that time. Given my proximity to Brazil - well, compared to them in the Philippines, they thought that it could be a fashion rage here as well.

I've never heard of it! Incredulous as it may have sounded to them (to those who believed it was a universal rage), I haven't even come across them...not even by accident. Not while I was in Costa Rica nor Panama nor recently in Colombia and definitely not here in Nicaragua.

When I was there, I, of course, checked this flip-flops out and to my chagrin a pair could cost anywhere between PHP 1,500 to 2,000 and given the present exchange rate would be no less than $30...for a pair of plastic/rubber flip-flops!

In my 6 weeks in Costa Rica prior to coming here to Nicaragua, I have already discovered Grendha and Ipanema both from Grendene of Farroupilha, Brazil. If you don't know what to buy here of good quality footwear, buy Brazilian, it's hard to go wrong with footwear made in Brazil.

I can get Grendha and Ipanema here in Nicaragua for between $10 - 15 but in Panama, I got a pair for $5 and another for $7. They are the most comfortable footwear I have ever had on and are sold all over Latin America. I have tried on Havaianas in the Philippines just to see what it had to offer and I must say I'd go for Grendha and Ipanema anytime.

Obviously, I did not buy even a single pair of Havaianas in the Philippines as I thought it was 'una locura' to spend that much money on flip-flops. If one can get something that makes you feel like walking on air for a third of the price....but then again I don't live half a world away from them, poreso, como no.

A blogger reacts

Came across this article published in a daily newspaper in the Philippines (on the net) written by an infamous character. Why she's infamous makes for a long story that doesn't warrant blog space, not my blog space anyway. Below is an excerpt from the article.

About blogging:

'...is for me a slacker job or a medium and pastime for lonely people to connect. Unless you’re in bloody Siberia or in a Gulag prison, try stepping outside your comfort zone and turn off the laptop or pc, you just might find some real live people to talk to instead of typing away in cyber space.'

My first reaction was, ouch - how'd she know I've started blogging (panic, looking over shoulders)! But wait a minute, it's definitely a misguided opinion, me realizes (palpitation subsiding). If you don't go out and interact with live people, live animals, live etc, what is there to blog about?

Blogging has made me go out more, be more active (and perceptive) in making things happen, otherwise, I would be sitting in front of my computer wishing I was in fact out there doing something worthy of sharing with my family and friends (jumping and waving: hey I'm alive and this is what I'm doing while sooo far away from you) - and that could easily be between re-runs of Friends, Will and Grace, Scrubs, Desperate Housewives, That 70s show, Supernatural, Pushing Daisies, etc.... now, that would be really sad, wouldn't it?

In other words, it's just another painless way of kicking myself to activity - ooh, ooh (hand raised eagerly) therapy, therapy - good answer, good answer (applause). And the top answer on why people blog is....survey says....(drum roll)...

Gotta go CSI's on.

What's for Dinner?

For dinner, I unbelievably craved for a local Filipino dish called 'Binagoongang Baboy'. So, as usual I scoured the internet for the recipe. Although I have here my ever faithful recipe book called 'Recipes of the Philippines' (compiled and edited) by Enriqueta David - Perez, that has followed me on every post we've been to, it (amazingly) did not contain the recipe for 'Binagoongang Baboy'.

Bagoong is fermented shrimp paste commonly used in Asian cuisine and Baboy is pork, entonces, it's really just Pork sauteed in shrimp paste.

Binagoongang Baboy

Ingredients

1 kilo pork with fat (cut into chunk cubes)
2 cups bagoong alamang
1 head of garlic (minced)
1 big onion (minced) 4 tomatoes (diced)
4 chili peppers (minced)
? cup vinegar (note: probably meant to taste)
4 tablespoons brown sugar
? cup water (note: maybe depending on desired consistency)

1. In a casserole, boil pork and lower fire until water evaporates and pork oil starts to come out.
2. When pork is lightly crispy, put aside and saute garlic, onion, tomatoes and chili peppers and in pork fat. Add pork once more.
3. Add the bagoong and cook while stirring for 5minutes.
4. Pour vinegar and stir well.
5. Add the sugar and let simmer for 10 minutes or just until cooked.
6. Serve hot.

You may want to tone down on the quantity of sugar and vinegar if you're using Barrio Fiesta's 'Ginisang (sauteed) Bagoong' as it's already pre-cooked and would therefore have the right amount of sugar and vinegar.

I put in coconut milk for an added twist and served it with bagoong rice (also) with coconut milk. Yummm, this should last me another 6 months before the next craving. Oh, and where would I get bagoong here in Nicaragua, you ask? I have an almost unlimited supply (because I make sure I don't run out) of Barrio Fiesta Ginisang Bagoong that I bring back with me together with my Sinigang Mix each time I go home to the Philippines.

I'm a princess...

...only by virtue of my mother being a queen ...well, according to her (wink). A not so private joke. We do allow illusions to color our world every now and then and not that hers need any more coloring, she herself is a very colorful person, enough to color all of ours. She has served as an inspiration to me in many ways - something I'm sure she's not aware of. Her strength, resilience, love of life and her faith in people. Nothing can seem to put her down (I have pitched in more than a few times) and if at all there's any, she can bounce back faster than a speeding bullet.

I know it's late - about a couple of days - but Happy Birthday Mother!

Long live the queen!