LUKIE THE GRADUATE

I never appreciated Pasta d' Soia(pancit)till last Wednesday. Its what I cooked for the buffet lunch at Lukie's school for their Kindergarten graduation. I was to bring ready made desserts but my husband told me to cook Riso Cantonese (friedrice) and Pancit. My indecisiveness was thinking that the Italians might not eat these Pinoy foods and the hassles of preparing such is not that easy.

My husband could attest to it that I did the 2 dishes in an hour. 1 kilo of the main ingredients which are rice and noodles made two trays each. I thought its best to take it to school freshly cooked so it won't spoil with the summer heat that had reached 37°C this week.

I did not reset my alarm clock and woke up late when I was suppose to do the cooking earlier. It was "ZOOM" here and there: boil rice, garlic, onions, pot, oil, carrot cubed, carrot strips, chicken, shrimps etc...etc... Husband's help in slicing the veggies were a BIG help or else we would be late for my son's graduation day.

The fried rice was quite saggy but the pancit was perfect and we got to Lukie's school 30 minutes early.

When we took the food inside the room "to join their kind" hehehe... The Italian Mom's, upon knowing that its 'pasta d' soia', gave us the WOW look and one mom can't help but took the fork and ate some of the pancit. It was suppose to be served outside for the picnic lunch.


The frenzy, speedy and panicky cooking paid off. My dish was devoured in seconds and one tray of pancit was missing probably hidden by the organizer mommy's or school staff. Or maybe, eaten inside the room by any of them before lunch. Really paid off when I went to the get us something to eat and saw an old man spooning the tiny pieces (about five strands of noodles)left on the aluminum tray. It was funny but elating to see him doing that.


I was asked for the recipe and was complimented by moms and teachers. Thinking out loud, "duhh, its just pancit, what's the fuss". I also want to hide from this one mom who asked me for the recipe twice and politely told her I will but not now.

So, this will stay in the family's story when someday we will talk about our first born's first graduation day. Its all about "long life".


Why long life? There's this joke by our pony-boy friend, Steve "Piltok", about a prisoner sentenced to death. He was asked what would he want for his last supper and requested, "Pancit!". They asked why of all the food on earth he asked for such. He answered, " 'tapno' long life!"...

TO OUR LITTLE GRADUATE, LUKIE DEARIE, GOODLUCK FOR THE NEXT STAGE OF SCHOOLING AND "PANCIT" TO YOU OUR DARLING SON!

CAMOTE JOURNAL(lol)

Remember my MAMA'S "CAMO TOPS"? It thrived and fed my soul hehehe... The original plan was to make a "diary" for my dear Camote. (Not my 'butoys'(lost translation hehehe...CALVES) that someone once referred to as, "the wrath of the Igorot tribe").


Will someone remind me of sticking to my topic...Okey Camote, I planted 10 shoots last spring but because it was always raining, it died. Its good I left some stems on the mother Camote just to make sure that I'll have seedlings if my first attempt will not "survive".

I planted the remaining shoots last June with the petunias that just grew from a pot I left out last winter. These Petunias wildly sprig every year for me since I planted it four years ago. They just sprout when summer is near and all I have to do is transfer them when they've grown about 2 inches high.

Our neighbor, Manong George told me that the Camote is ready and asked why aren't we taking the leaves. He said we should do so because it will allow more shoots to grow. I told him I didn't know and immediately do what he "advised".

I didnt expect I could "harvest"(hehehe) half a bag while Manong George asked for the stems and took home to plant.

My once abandoned Camote - now in its "glory" with tomatoes, lemon juice and 'bagoong'(fish sauce). Sarap talaga pag fresh!

EUFA (EURO 2008) AND CAPTAIN HOOK

Lukie asked me to watch football tonight and tell him in the morning who won. Its a match between Italy and Spain. "Its my, Ale, Filipo and Lore's game", my son said before it started and pleaded to stay till its over. Since its a school day tomorrow, he has to sleep early and I only gave him 30 minutes extension from his usual bed time.

After a hundred times of telling him, "Lukie go wash and brush!"(a cue that his time lapsed), he went to clean up but made sure I'll finish watching the game. Then off to bed - I tucked him in.

MAMA: Lukie, 'ti voglio bene' (I love you very much) (then kissed him good night).

LUKIE: NON-ti voglio Mama (I don't love you Mama).

MAMA: Why?

LUKIE: You make me think of the "baddies".

MAMA: "Baddies" who?

LUKIE: Captain Hook... Now, I can't sleep.

MAMA: You know honey, if there are baddies... you can be scared but Mama will punch and kick them for you.

LUKIE: (smiling now) But, you have no Karate costume like Papa.


MAMA: Amore, Mama could be Supermama, Batmama and Spider mama for you honey. Sleep now, I'll stay with you till you're really-really asleep.

LUKIE: I love you Mama! 'Bouna note'(goodnight).


Ohhmygoshhh...What will Lukie think of me now when I will tell him tomorrow that his Italian football team lost? Its 4-2 in favor of Spain. Yikes! I'm the villain and its my fault why Italy didn't win... Help, I need my Super powers please!

WEEKLY QUESTION 4

Did it ever occur to you that when you were still under your parent's roof, everything was a burden? You doing what you're told, whether you like it or not - it must and has to be done. Chores that you are suppose to do everyday should have already become a habit. But no, you still consider it as a "punishment" to your youthful life?

Now that - that youth had been of yesterday, looking back at those "impositions", it had become more of the lessons you've learned.

This week's question from Teacher Julie's Greenbucks is - "What valuable lessons have you learned from your father?"... I say, so many and my blog had been constantly writing about it. For this time, I'll just talk about how my father forces us to work.

Having 6 children with only a year or two years gap, we used to have two house helps. To help my dad with in his farm, we also have four to five stay-in workers we call " the boys". Stay-in drivers too to help my Dad in transporting his vegetables and driving the trucks. Other times when my dad has a project for his Contracting business doing rep-raps or school buildings, most of his workers live at home or at my aunt's vacant house near us. Add our adopted cousins who also became household members.

The first three older girls - me(10 years old) and my two sisters(9 and 7) have a list of every day chores posted in the kitchen. A rotation of who is to wash the dishes and clean designated rooms of the house.

I always say it then that IT WAS UNFAIR. We have so many house helps but we are the ones doing the chores for them. Also during planting, weeding and harvesting in our farm. We are there during Saturdays, a day of no school which is more of a play day supposedly. I really find it a big "burden" or more of a "punishment" cast by my father because aside from the "boys", there are day paid workers around we call the "puldiya". I never miss to tell my sisters that indeed, my dad is SO UNFAIR.

He used to tell us, "Learn to work and do things by yourselves because no one will do it for you". Realization does come always and my Dad was right. Had it not been with the learning of working hard, life is MORE UNFAIR if I did not know it earlier.

That makes my never ending picking up of children's toys, cooking 3 different dishes each meal and emptying the washing machine easier. I had my training grounds hahaha!!!

WEEKLY QUESTION 3

Teacher Julie's third question from GreenBucks asked, "What were your favorite books as a child, specifically in your elementary school years?"

I really didn't have any. I'd rather play than read. But, I remember this cooking book and a medical book my mom use to keep. We were not allowed to touch nor take it out from where it was hidden - my mom and dad's drawer for "important documents." Every time my parents would go to the city, I'll sneak and go read them.

MERMAID'S PURSE

I am always awe struck to how amazing different creatures come into existence. Like these sharks called dogfish we just saw from Italy's biggest Aquarium, Sea Life, found in Verona.

Same as full term human babies, it takes nine moths for these sharks to hatch. Into the sea, the mother dogfish lays her eggs and leaves the babies to take care of themselves.

Inside these natural incubator called "mermaid's purse" are the tiny baby shark which is about the size of a finger nail.

At Sea Life, each stage of the baby shark's development were put in different aquariums. I thought they were corals till I've read the descriptive labels. My regret is not to take note of the months corresponding each of these pictures that my husband took.

These tough leathery casing of the mermaid's purse protects the babies from predators. It could also hide the egg from seaweeds with it's camouflaging effect.
The darker the color of the casing means the young is less developed

Then here are the babies out of the mermaid's purse which are still blind on their first days.

Till they grow and become this big.

FIRST YEAR ANNIVERSARY

Gracing My First was written a year ago. Means "A Raconteur's Attempt" may actually exist and tomorrow starts the pursuit(lol) of it's Biennial anniversary.



Its becoming a cliche when you're getting older to say, "time really flies so fast". Add another banality of - "Seems it was just yesterday" and you really are piling that age. No worries there, you can always say, "wisdom is gained, regardless... hahaha".

Its now safe to say that 365 days "flew so fast" and "seems it was just yesterday" when I was engrossed on what blog title, template and font I shall keep. I could still feel that sense of "I am just another blogger" which is now "vindicated" with: writing and talking to myself is fulfilling specially when I talk about the people and things I love.

With in my first year of blogging, it got me convinced that the first person: I, me and myself - is phasing out the old book of narcism. It gave a new definition to "talking about your self" and had become an effect of "technology enhancement". To say otherwise is to be left behind.

There was an attempt for this page to gain profit but I chickened out when I was to write about jeans I never wore or advertise movies I don't really want to watch. Its also time consuming to work out on maintaining your rank and requires blog hopping which for the moment is impossible when a toddler consumes most of your time.

Before I go far and lost track of why I am writing this... and all I was suppose to say is THANK YOU... I'm very grateful to all the readers who keep on coming back although you read the same words, same people and my same silly thoughts. Till the next anniversary when we will again say, "time flies so fast" and "seems it was just yesterday".