Kindness of Strangers 2

Textures of Bolinao

Maybe the universe is teaching me to be humble. Maybe I am meant to realize that hunger is my worst enemy. This recent trip to Bolinao, Pangasinan gave me another lesson in the kindness of strangers.

We were set to produce one segment about the ecotourism in Bolinao, a quaint third class town in Pangasinan. this entailed having to travel by banca to Balingasay River, the Giant clam farm and seaweed sanctuary.

And so, the crew, in two boats, set out to sea by 6:30 AM. Four hours later, we were still at sea, under the sweltering sun, our lunch an hour away by boat. We had one small mineral bottle each and a small box of chocolates. The Giant Clams and the seaweed were nowhere near edible (nor were they available for harvest). We were hot, sticky and turning irrational.

Since were near Santiago Island,  we decided to dock on its port to find some food. There was one store that sold softdrinks and less than 10 meters away was the only sari-sari store of the barangay. As we scouted the shelves for anything that was readily available, the store owner, Aileen, came out and asked us what we wanted from her store. 

 We asked her if she could possibly cook some instant noodles for us. She readily agreed to do so. We pushed our luck and asked if she could possibly cook some rice and sardines for us. She was surprised by the request but did not hesitate to agree.  As we helped her cook lunch, her daughter Alexandra joined us as well as other members of her family.

We kept everyone in their household busy, showing us where the washroom was and in typical Pinoy fashion, apologizing for the spareness of the facility. They used their electric stove and and the dirty kitchen kalan using firewood. It was a classic show of Filipino hospitality and bayanihan.

photo courtesy of Irene Pacana-Liwanag

Aside from what we brought from her store, they offered us arorosep, the small grape like seaweed that goes well with fish. They had harvested some and had just cleaned some for selling.

The arorosep is washed in fresh water

The hairy bits and other sea debris are removed by hand and washed again

The seaweeds are again soaked in fresh water before it is brought to the market to be sold

Rice, noodles, boiled eggs, scrambled eggs corned beef and freshly washed seaweeds- the meal you see here is one of the best I've had because it was given out of kindness.

Ma Mon Luk Memories

Weekend food trips with papa were highlights of my first years in Manila. Weekends were spent sampling frogs legs at the Estero or sharing burgers at Dayrit's. On days when money was tighter than usual, he would still take me out to eat at Ma Mon Luk's Aurora Boulevard branch.

We would share a bowl  of hot mami and split an asado siopao. I remember the ceiling fans whirring above us, working hard to evaporate the sweat on our brows as we partook of the hot soup and noodles that made me forget all my worries. 

Papa would take the paper covering of the siopao and split the steaming bun to reveal delicate ly shredded meat with fatty bits and dark amber sauce. It would be my job to pour on each of our portions the sweet, salty and sticky brown siopao sauce. Papa would always wait for me to take my first bite before he would ask, "Masarap ba?" To which I would always reply in the affirmative. 

Last weekend, I had the chance to share a Ma Mon Luk experience with A. 

The place more or less looked the same as it did several decades back. I didn't mind it much as it gave the eatery a nostalgic feel. And Mr. Luk staring down at you from the wall his portrait was perched provided that museum-like vibe.  And true to its form, the place reeked of something old. A. colorfully describes the pungent smell that permeated the place, "Amoy-asong di naligo ng isang buwan pero gumulong-gulong sa patis."

 As we sat ourselves down, I was so looking forward to experience a glimpse of my childhood., I dind't mind the smell. We ordered my standard fare- The Original Mami and Asado siopao.

But no happy childhood memories in a a bowl was served. What came instead were two lukewarm noodle bowls and  dry siopao buns. And it was all downhill from there. After his first spoonfuls of the soup, Augie, went all Kung Fu Panda with his review of what he was eating, "Bland ang siopao at lasang paa ang mami." Even the siopao sauce was not sticky, nor sweet. Just plain salty.

Out of respect for my good childhood memories, I tried my best to finish my meal. A. however, couldn't be appeased and declared that even Chowking was better than what he was served.

We drove away from the place, sad and disappointed, with parts of my happy childhood memories drowned in bland, watery soup.

Boys! Boys! or How to Make a Meal Out of Martian Brains

Halloween was never an occassion celebrated by my family as I was growing up.

My first and only Halloween Trick or Treat experience was around ten years back when my then ten-year old baby bro' Angelo and his friend Bernard decided they would try their hand at amassing sweet treats from Bernard's neighbors in a gated community in Marikina. 

   Angelo and Bernard then...

Bernard's dad, Chito, and myself played costume master and mistress, borrowing Roman soldier costumes ---complete with toga, helmets and sandals--- from another friend,. When the boys went out in their costumes, Chito and I realized that we had just dressed two boys in flimsy white skirts, something that they'd probably never forgive us for when the pictures resurface via Facebook.

A few hours later, the boys returned with a bagful of candies, plastic toys and unhappy faces. Apparently, they realized that the homes they visited towards the end of their Hallow's Eve jaunt were already having supper.  And when they were handed their treats, they were disappointed  because the tired and hungry boys wanted to be gifted with rice and adobo instead of sweets!

They are now both in the cusp of adulthood and are on the brink of facing the truths of life that turn boys into men. But Angelo and Bernard will probably always be those pre-pubescent boys in my eyes.

   ...Angelo and Bernard today.

Here's a Halloween recipe for the boys...

Martian Brain Noodles

Ingredients:

1.5 kg Malunggay pansit

1 cup pork,  sliced into thin 1 inch lengths

1 cup Pork or chicken liver, cut into ¼ inch cubes

1 cup Chinese sausage, cut into ¼ inch circles

1 cup Shrimp, shelled, deveined and halved

1 cup tenga ng daga, softened and cut into 1 inch long strips

1 ½  cups Squash, cut into 1 inch high triangles

250 grams tofu

500 grams wombok

4 ½  cups water

3 tbsps soy sauce

1 tbsp Kutchai, minced

1 tbsp garlic, finely minced

1 cup onion, finely minced

1/4 cup cooking oil

1 shrimp bouillon cube

Salt and pepper to taste

Place pork in ½ cup water and add a dash of salt. Allow water to boil and the pork to become tender. When about 1 tbsp of water is left, add the Chinese sausage. Turn fire to low. Allow the remaining water to cook the sausage and bring out the oil of the pork to brown the meats.  Add cooking oil, garlic and onion. Then add the liver and tofu. Sautee until brown.

Dissolve the shrimp bouillon cube in 4 cups of water and add to the mixture when the liver is almost cooked. Add in the tenga ng daga, and squash. When the squash is slightly tender, add the shrimp and soy sauce to taste.

When the shrimp changes color, add the malunggay noodles and mix gently. Add the rest of the ingredients. Mix gently for five minutes, making sure to evenly distribute the ingredients and keep the noodles moist.

To serve,put a helping of the noodles in a bowl and mold. turn over to a plate and garnish with vegetables.

ha