Champorado

Ingredients:
12 cups water
3 cups glutinous rice
8 pieces of unsweetened tablea (chocolate tablets)
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
fried danggit (dried rabbitfish)
fried dilis (dried long-jawed anchovies
evaporated milk

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, dissolve the tablea in one cup of water. Set aside.
2. In a separate casserole, on medium heat, combine the remainikng cups of water and glutinous rice.
3. When it starts to boil, reduce heat to low and pour the dissolved tablea into the rice mixture.
4. Stir constantly to create a smooth consistency. Add more water if you want it less thick.
5. Add sugar according to your preference.
6. When the rice becomes translucent, the champurado is done.
7. Turn off the stove and serve the champurado in individual bowls while hot.
8. Drizzle with evalorated milk and serve with the dried fish.

Happy Slip Productions

http://www.happyslip.com
Check out Christine Gambito's hilarious takes on being Pinoy in America!

The Korean Connection

Dr. Q Han was in town for a couple of weeks with 5 of his students. A photo account of one night and one afternoon with them.

SJC Ladies who Lunch

Beng, Roxanne, Belen, Mila, & Vikki

Any reason or no reason at all is a good excuse for us to get together! Wasn't it only yesterday (actually, many, many decades ago) that we were classmates in Kindergarten? HIndi naman halata, di ba?

Pad Thai

Description:
Noodle dish

Ingredients:
1 (12 ounce) package rice noodles
2 tbsps. butter
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/4 cup vegetable oil
4 eggs
1 tbsp. white wine vinegar
2 tbsps. fish sauce
3 tbsps. white sugar
1/8 tbsp. crushed red pepper
2 cups bean sprouts
1/4 cup crushed peanuts
3 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, cut into wedges


Directions:
1. Soak rice noddles on cold water 30 to 50 minutes, or until soft. Drain, and set aside.

2. Heat butter in a wok or large heavy skillet. Saute chicken until browned. Remove, and set aside.

3. Heat oil in wok over medium-high heat. Crack eggs into hot oil, and cook until firm. Stir in chicken, and cook for 5 minutes. Add softened noodles, and vinegar, fish sauce, sugar and red pepper. Adjust seasonings to taste. Mix while cooking, until noodles are tender. Add bean sprouts, and mix for 3 minutes.

Hernandez Family at Miriam's

July 13, 2008

Videos by kids

http://101054.multiply.com
These videos were produced, written, and directed by kids 11-17 years old in workshops conducted by my friend Lem Garcellano.

PostSecret

http://postsecret.blogspot.com
Appeals to my inner tsismosa. Every week, Frank Warren posts secrets sent to him through postcards.

They did something good

     Recognize the people in this picture? If you do, then chances are you are a certified, true blue fan of the movie Sound of Music! Yes, those are silhouettes of Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer in that romantic scene in the garden when they finally reveal their feelings for each other while singing 'Perhaps I had a wicked childhood. Perhaps I had a miserable youth! But somewhere in my youth and childhood, I must have done something good..." Cut! O ayan, I got carried away again singing one of my favorite songs from the movie!

    Saw the movie on TV some days ago so I abandoned what I was doing; followed the movie to its happily-ever-after end. Just like the 101 or so  times I've seen it, it left me again with a feeling that all the adversities of this world can be cured with a a spirit of optimism, forbearance, and of course, true love .

     I watched it first as a child in grade school. While it was showing in the movie houses, I distinctly remember finding every reason to watch it with anyone who would care to bring me along to see it .  I couldn't get enough of  "Do-Re-Mi" and  and after seeing the movie all of maybe six times, I could sing all of the songs by heart. (Actually, hanggang ngayon yata kaya ko pa rin yan!) Of course, half of time I couldn't understand what some of the words meant but the melodies were enough to make my heart soar.

     I loved singing "My Favorite Things" even if I didn't have a clue what schitzels and crisp apple streudels were. I imagined myself as Leizl flirting with Rolf in "I am 16 going on 17."   I shed a tear or two everytime the father sang "Edelweiss" during the farewell concert. Of course, "Climb every Mountain" never failed to stir my soul and for months I would bid my family and friends good-bye by singing "So Long, Farewell."

      You'd think this childhood fanaticism would wane with the advent of my interest in more serious, if not morose, themes in movies. But no, like a subject given a post-hypnotic suggestion, every time I see it showing I just have to be that little girl once again. Yet each time I watch it, I see facets which I never noticed before. It is as if there are layers of reality which were hidden and could only be uncovered because I had become older and maybe, wiser?

      The layers would reveal how war and the invasion of a country could never be justified by whatever benevolent reasons occupying forces use to rationalize their actions. That courage and heroism can be found not only in those who choose to fight in the war front but in those who confront injustice and stand up for their rights. Then of course, that it couldn't have been easy for a family to start a new life bereft of all that was comfortable and familiar. (And yes, one more belated realization: Christopher Plummer was Hot!)

     There might be more valuable lessons to learn from it, who knows? But the beautiful music and the breathtaking setting will  be reasons for me to look forward to watching it with my future grandchildren!

     
    

    

UP Psych Tea Party 2008

The Psych department bids batch 2008 good-bye.

Pagkahaba-haba ng paghihintay, sa simbahan din ang tuloy!

Blessing of the new car after a long, long wait for the metallic beige, gas and automatic Toyota Innova. The family with Fr. Arnold Biago, SVD at the Sacred Heart Parish

Another excuse to eat out

Kozui green tea ice cream, of course!

Mga Batang X-2 at X-3

Students in my Psych 195 (X-2) and Psych 101 (X-3) Summer 2008 classes

Sa Kaibigang Gusto Ko Sanang Batiin sa Kanyang Kaarawan

Kaarawan n'ya kahapon at halos buong araw kong pinag-isipan kung dapat ko ba siyang batiin. Dapat sana'y di kailangang pagaksayahan ng panahon ang pag-iisip tungkol dito. Kung tunay nga akong kaibigan, di na ako dapat nagatubili. Pero nanaig pa rin ang takot na bigyan ng isang maling kahulugan ang pag-alala sa isang kaibigan. Kaya't minabuti ko na lang na isulat dito ang aking niloloob. Kasunod ang isang sulat para sa kanya, isang sulat na di kailanman maipadadala...

Kaibigan,

    Bakit nga ba nagbago ang lahat? Wala akong maalalang nagawa upang maging dahilan sa iyong paglayo. Sa aking naiisip na posibleng dahilan, hinanakit lamang ang aking maisusukli sa iyo kung tama nga ang aking hinala. Hindi lang isang beses ko ito nabanggit noon, ngunit pagtanggi palagi ang iyong sagot sa akin.

   Noong nakaraang buwan, habang naglalakad sa Acad Oval kasama ng maraming tao, nalamapasan mo ako. Mabilis ang iyong paghakbang palayo sa akin. Hindi ko tinawag ang iyong pansin dahil sa aking palagay ay nakita mo naman ako ngunit tuloy-tuloy ka pa rin sa iyong paglalakad.  Lubos na bang nagbago ang itsura ng aking likuran na di mo na ito nakilala? Dahil ba may suot akong sumbrero ay wala man sa hindi nakakubli sa akin ang nagpaalala sa dati mong kaibigan?

    Igagalang ko ang iyong kagustuhan na lumayo. Mayroon kang dahilan para gawin ito ngunit masakit pa ring tanggapin ang iyong katahimikan! Ngunit sa kabila ng lahat, nagpapasalamat ako sa panahon na iyong inilaan upang maibsan ang mga sugat sa aking kaluluwa. Naroon ka sa mga pagkakataong kinailangan ko ng uunawa sa burak ng aking pagkatao.

    Sana'y nasa maayos kang kalagayan! Katulad ng madalas mong sabihin sa akin noon, hanapin mo ang iyong kaligayahan! Maligayang Kaarawan, NdC!