This Side Of Town

turned a hundred posts today.

I truly didn't mean to celebrate.

But my neighbor Carol (of the tamales) chose this night to knock on my door again.

This time, she waved a plateful of delectable roast beef complete with garnishings in front of me. (I seriously MUST work on my Spanish - and quick.)

I took one look at my man. He took one look at me.

Then he went to the kitchen and reached for a bottle of red wine.

Come, let's clink glasses!

(photo source: Google Images bettyboop-a.doop.com)

Random Tuesday Thoughts

Well.

Fall has fallen. It is 4:15 in the morning, Sept. 22nd. My son wants snow TODAY but I said we live in North Carolina, where it hardly ever snows even in the deadest of winters.

I am very sleepy. But I am at work. The floor is quiet, thank God. Some nights are just glorious. (But I prayed really hard for this from the HOUSE, not just from the CAR, on the way here.) Answered prayer, thank You, Jesus!!

Yesterday, my neighbor knocked on my door with a plateful of tamales. Now I DID not have the slightest idea what it was, but tasted one. Very flavorful. I brought some to work last night, and Zulma (remember Zulma of the Picadillo post?) said she could guess my neighbor was from El Salvador because the food was wrapped in banana leaves. She also said it was a killer. That means very good. She said nobody makes tamales better than her mom and that the one I brought last night was cooked well. I heated mine up quickly and ate it hot. With my hot cup of cocoa. Sumptuous. (Don't know what tamales is? I had to google it myself - it's made of corn husk, pork or chicken, and an assortment of vegetables. The meat and vegetables are inside the soft, flour-y mixture. Go figure.) But now I have to make it up to Senora Carolina and dream up some dish to return the favor. Ai-ai-ai, gotta brush up on my Spanish!

I am presently reading Sakharov Speaks. Sometimes.

I want to eat some PILI. Not the candy. The pulp. And dip 'em in soy sauce with pepper and a dash of lemon.

I'm wondering how long it takes to carve a pumpkin because Matthew wants us to do one.

That's the end of my random thoughts.

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Good morning ~ hope this one is bright and sunny!

This 'ber Season

Whenever I mention to non-Filipino friends that Filipinos herald the coming of Christmas by the 1st of September, I am always met by a huge amount of curiosity, wide eyes and a barrage of questions. Well, my dear friends, it is true! Haha! We have the longest celebration of Christmas that I know of all over the world!

By the 1st of September, Christmas songs will start peppering the airwaves, people start saving up for gifts, or buying them. The weather is noticeably cooler, and gets cooler still, until February. Even strangers are more convivial to each other. We love the 'ber season!

Except for the All Saints' and All Souls' Days on Nov. 1 and 2, there's nothing else between September and Christmas. No Christmas songs on those days, but there's a resounding comeback by the next! Christmas trees are up right after Nov. 2, some before.

Many also enjoy the traditional manito-manita (secret Santa) at home, in offices, schools, wherever there's a willing crowd. How you do it is you all write a fictitious name on a piece of paper, roll it up and put them all together in a container. Each gets to pick a piece of paper and that's the person you give a gift to depending on the rules. Rules may be weekly or daily (or whenever) gift-giving (not necessarily expensive), each week (or day, or whenever) corresponds to a certain gift that is simply described, and up for the giver (secret santa) to interpret. Say, this week, something long and slimy. It runs up till Christmas Day where each one reveals his true identity. Fun? You can say that again!

We also have our traditional Misa De Aguinaldo (misa - mass, aguinaldo - gift), which is a series of masses celebrated at dawn (around 4 at the earliest). It starts on Dec. 16th, and ends on the 24th, at midnight, a nine-day gift of the faithful to the Lord Jesus and Mother Mary. It is a very sacred devotion (novena), and I used to pine when there were times that I wasn't able to complete it. Then there's the noche buena (midnight meal) after the midnight masses On Dec. 24th (Christmas eve) and Dec. 31st (New Year's eve). And then there are the fireworks.


There are lanterns everywhere, of different sizes and colors. There are lantern parades. There's puto-bumbong (traditional rice cake, very famous at Christmastime), and lots of other traditional goodies awaiting church-goers after each dawn mass. There is just so much happiness unfelt at any other time.

And the holiday doesn't end on Jan. 1st. There's the celebration of the Three Kings on the 6th of January. Many Christmas trees stay up till February. Some decors stay all year long!

Sigh. It will be September in a week. I'm pining - again. I'm sorely missing all that.


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The Philippines is more than 80% Catholic, and strong traditions are what bind people together.

What's Cookin'?

Pancit!

Aris makes the best in town! Whenever we are both off work, we go to the Asian store, which is more than 30 minutes' drive. But when we get home, we enjoy cooking to our hearts' content! Come join us!

Zulma's Oh-So-Homemade Picadillo

Nothing elaborate to this, my friends. Zulma said you can use as many/much or as few/little of the ingredients, to your taste. And then she added, she'd have to kill me if I pressed for the family secret. So please make do, and see where you can add or remove, because I value my life, and I want another helping of this good stuff.

This here is transcribed as she wrote it in a piece of paper.

Ingredients:

Pinto beans

Potatoes (if you want to add)

Black beans

Onions

Radish

Green pepper

Bell pepper

Jalapenos

Chili powder

Garlic

Knorr chicken Powder

4-6 cups of water

Tabasco sauce

Carrots

Black Pepper

Ground turkey

Dice the vegetables.

Cook in pan. (She didn't say saute. And look again, NO OIL.)

Add meat.

Add condiments and water.

Boil.

Add beans. Boil to cook.

This is my Spanish friend's post script:

Use teaspoons for measuring the condiments.

And finally, she wrote, Enjoy!

Please cook at your own pace. (This is mine.)