If you have not seen the first Top Chef episode of this season, read no further. This post contains spoilers!
How’d you guys like this Top Chef episode? Here are my random thoughts. Would love to hear yours!
It had me at chocolate fries.
When my husband and I found a rare shared extra hours after work, we decided to go out on a date. Casa Xocolat in Katipunan was a perfect choice since it wasn’t too far from home, and I was in the mood for that pork belly dish my friend Spanky was always raving about.
It was our first time at Casa Xocolat, and as soon as we stepped into the shop I immediately fell at home. It was a casa all right! An old house from the ’60s was converted into this charming little restaurant, and the homey, cozy feel was just perfect after a long day at work.
The outdoor seating looked really cozy too. I could imagine hanging out their with my college friends while sneaking some study sessions in between. The restaurant is situated near my alma mater, so I couldn’t help but wish this shop had been around back in the ’90s.
Enough with the reminiscing! Let’s talk about the delicious food we had. For starters, we had the Churros Con Xocolat. I enjoyed them. See, I think of churros and Dulcinea comes to mind. It’s nice to know there’s another place that serves good churros.
“The end of summer is to me like New Year’s Eve. I sense an end to something carefree and uninhibited, sandy and warm, cold and melting, barefoot and tanned…” Here is a beautiful excerpt from Erma Bombeck’s book, “At Wit’s End.” It is an insightful look at childhood, at growing up, at parenting, at raising kids, at raising OURSELVES. Thanks to my dear friend Jet for sharing this with me. And now I share it with you.
The end of summer is to me like New Year’s Eve. I sense an end to something carefree and uninhibited, sandy and warm, cold and melting, barefoot and tanned. And yet, I look forward with great expectation to a beginning of schedules and appointments, bookbinders with little tabs, freshly sharpened pencils, crisp winds, efficiency, and routine.
I am sadly aware of a great rushing of time as I lengthen skirts and discard sweaters that hit above the wristbones. Time is moving and I want to stop it for just a while so that I may snatch a quiet moment and tell my children what it is I want for them and what all the shouting has been about.
Too fast… you’re moving too fast. Don’t be in such a hurry to trade formulas for formals. You’re going to own your own sports car before you’ve tried to build one out of orange crates and four baby buggy wheels. You’re going to explore the world before you’ve explored the wonders of your own back yard. You’re going to pad with cotton what the Good Lord will provide if you are just patient.
Don’t shed your childhood like a good coat that’s gotten a little small for you. A full-term childhood is necessary as is all phases of your growth. Childhood is a time for pretending and trying on maturity to see if it fits or hangs baggy, tastes good or bitter, smells nice or fills your lungs with smoke that makes you cough. It’s sharing licks on the same sucker with your best friend before you discover germs. It’s not knowing how much a house cost, and caring less. It’s going to bed in the summer with dirty feet on clean sheets. It’s thinking anyone over fifteen is “ancient.” It’s absorbing ideas, knowledge, and people like a giant sponge. Childhood is where “competition” is a baseball game and “responsibility” is a paper route.
I want to teach you so much that you must know to find happiness within yourself. Yet, I don’t know where to begin or how.
I want you to be a square. That’s right, a square! I want you to kiss your grandmother when you walk into a room even if you’re with your friends. I want you to be able to talk openly of God and your love for Him. I want you to lend dignity to the things you believe in and respect for the things you don’t believe in. I want you to be a human being who needs friends, and in turn deserves them. I want you to be a square who polishes his shoes, buttons the top button of his shirt occasionally, and stands straight and looks people in the eye when they are talking to you. There is a time to laugh and a time to cry. I want you to know the difference.
I want you to be a cornball, a real, honest-to-God, flag-waving cornball, who, if you must march, will tell people what you are for, not what you are against….
Please remember to have compassion….
…If I could only be sure all the lessons are sinking in and are being understood. How can I tell you about disappointments? You’ll have them, you know. And they’ll be painful, they’ll hurt, they’ll shatter your ego, lay your confidence in yourself bare, and sometimes cripple your initiative. But people don’t die from them. They just emerge stronger. I want you to hear the thunder, so you can appreciate the calm. I want you to fall on your face in the dirt once in a while, so you will know the pride of being able to stand tall. Learn to live with the words “No! You can’t! You’re out! You blew it! I don’t know.” And “I made a mistake.”
Adults are always telling young people, “These are the best years of your life.” Are they? I don’t know. Sometimes when adults say this to children I look into their faces. They look like someone on the top seat of the Ferris wheel who has had too much cotton candy and barbecue. They’d like to get off and be sick but everyone keeps telling them what a good time they’re having.
Do not imagine for a moment that I don’t feel your fears and anxieties. Youth does not have an immunity from disappointments and heartbreaks. No one does.
Fears begin the day you were born: fear of baths, bed wetting, the dark, falling off the sink where you are being bathed, strangers throwing you into the air and not catching you, going hungry, noises, open pins.
Later, it’s monsters, parents leaving and not coming back, death, hurts, and bad dreams. School only adds to anxieties. Fear of not having friends, being called upon and not knowing the answers, telling the truth when you’re going to be punished, not getting to the bathroom in time, not being liked by a baby sitter, not loved by your parents when a new baby arrives in the house. As you mature, they continue to multiply. Fear of not achieving, not having friends, or not being accepted, not getting the car, worrying about war, marriage, career, making money, being attractive to the opposite sex and making the grades to graduate.
Fears are normal. We all have them. Parents have the greatest fears of all. For we are responsible for this life which we have brought to this world. There is so much to teach and the time goes so fast…
———-
Photo credits: “path” by shoothead; “summer’s end” by harold.lloyd; “Fun Suburban Soap Bubbles” by D Sharon Pruitt; “Gentle Windchimes” by D Sharon Pruitt; “Bright Green Spring Leaves” by D Sharon Pruitt;
My two boys holding hands while napping.
One of the sweetest moments in motherhood ever.
I’m very thankful that my husband is a father who’s very hands on. I can trust him to change the baby’s nappy (for as long as there’s no major poop business going on). I can count on him to get the baby dressed (and most likely the baby will be wearing a superhero-themed shirt). I can rely on him to keep the baby entertained (be it a little rough play or quiet reading time). I can lean on him for support when I’m having Mommy troubles (like breastfeeding dilemmas or those Am-I-a-Bad-Mom moments). I can depend on him when I can’t go out to buy baby things (vitamins, milk, nappies, books).
My Husby’s a good Daddy. Timmy and I are very blessed.
We love you Daddy! 
Happy Father’s Day!
To all the Dads reading this and to all the Dads of you guys reading this, Happy Father’s Day!
If you have not seen the first Top Chef episode of this season, read no further. This post contains spoilers!
How’d you guys like the Top Chef premiere? Here are my random thoughts. Would love to hear yours!
“Eric’s Song” by Vienna Teng is one of the most intimate and romantic songs I’ve encountered. I liked the melody the first time I heard the song, but the lyrics made me fall in love with the song even more. Have a listen and sing along.
There’s just something so personal and quiet and private and grand about the song. I can’t put my finger on it. It’s not just a song about romance. It’s a song of deeply connecting with someone. A song for a soulmate, yes.
Strange how you know inside me
I measure the time and I stand amazed
Strange how I know inside you
My hand is outstretched toward the damp of the haze
And of course I forgive
I’ve seen how you live
Like a phoenix you rise from the ashes
You pick up the pieces
And the ghosts in the attic
They never quite leave
And of course I forgive
You’ve seen how I live
I’ve got darkness and fears to appease
My voices and analogies
Ambitions like ribbons
Worn bright on my sleeve
Strange how we know each other
Strange how I fit into you
There’s a distance erased with the greatest of ease
Strange how you fit into me
A gentle warmth filling the deepest of needs
And with each passing day
The stories we say
Draw us tighter into our addiction
Confirm our conviction
That some kind of miracle
Passed on our heads
And how I am sure
Like never before
Of my reasons for defying reason
Embracing the seasons
We dance through the colors
Both followed and led
Strange how we fit each other
Strange how certain the journey
Time unfolds the petals
For our eyes to see
Strange how this journey’s hurting
In ways we accept as part of fate’s decree
So we just hold on fast
Acknowledge the past
As lessons exquisitely crafted
Painstakingly drafted
To carve us as instruments
That play the music of life
For we don’t realize
Our faith in the prize
Unless it’s been somehow elusive
How swiftly we choose it
The sacred simplicity
Of you at my side
Gah. So beautiful.
“Blue skies, smiling at me… nothing but blue skies, do I see,” sings Ella Fitzgerald. I’m sure she wasn’t singing about this umbrella, but she might as well be!
This Sky Umbrella sure looks like it can chase the grey away from any rainy day!
I think I’ll call this The Optimist’s Umbrella.
He likes his lasagna vegetarian, I want mine oozing with tomatoes, the kid will probably like his with lots of cheese… what to do when we’re all picky about lasagna? Presenting: The Trio Lasagna Pan!
Picky lasagna eaters? Problem solved!
C’mon admit it, what have you bought from the TV shopping network? And can you really relate to any of these (pseudo) problems?
Watching TV shopping network informercials cracks me up. At first I always go “Woo! That’s so exaggerated! Why don’t you just use a knife to chop everything up?” Then later on, “Hey, that’s so cool it chops concrete!” Much later, “You can make ice cream in a chopping machine?!?” Much much later, “Husby, come here! I think we need this.”
My husband would just shake his head and say no, but then the magic TV shopping lines like “But wait! There’s more!” and “And that’s not all!” comes on and we’re glued to the rest of the infomercial.
Our household has accumulated quite a number of thingamagics from TV shopping. I’ve bought some kind of mop that (supposedly) has extraordinary abilities to wipe up all kinds of spills. I’ve possessed several towels that have magical fibers that wipe away all kinds of dirt and dust. Then there was that vacuum cleaner that could suck so strongly it could hold a bowling ball in its spout.
My parents’ home also has its share of abdominal workout gadgets. Yes, gadgets, in plural form. None of us have washboard abs though. We’ve had our share of mandolins (Super Slicer? Smart Slicer? I forget the name) but we still slice fruits and vegetables with a knife.
So many times I came close to getting the phone and ordering one of those choppers, that device you wear that cuts your waistline in half, some kind of ladder/table, filleting knives, inflatable mattresses, greaseless grills…
What is it about the lure of these infomercials? The presentation format is simple — problem-solution. Is it because we can sympathize with the problems presented, no matter how exaggerated they are? Is it because we anticipate experiencing the same thing, say get our high heels caught in the hem of our pants, or our shelves falling apart when we go DIY?
Whatever the reason is, watching the shopping network on TV provides me with amusement. I’m just glad their shopping shows don’t have a text component (or do they?). That would be too easy, and too hard to resist. I’ve still got my eyes on that chopper that can disintegrate concrete. Hey, you never know when I’d need to do that in real life.
What have you bought from TV shopping networks? Were they happy purchases or did you regret them? Share, share!
Things in my head I hope you can help me with:
I need to go on vacation. Stat. Any quick weekend getaway recos? Tagaytay’s nice, Subic too. Some place that doesn’t require a plane or a 12-hour bus ride. I don’t want to go too far, and I’m done with staycations. Oh life!
Any infant formula recos? Yes, I know breastmilk is still best for babies. I have to start mixed feeding soon, and I want to know what other Mommies are using. Timmy’s turning 10 months old. If you have a suggestion, could you also please let me know why you’re recommending it? I planned to breastfeed exclusively till the first year, but it looks like I’m not going to make it. Oh life!
Anyone playing The Sims 3 Ambitions here? It’s my ultimate stress reliever now. I’ve created one Sim to be an Architect. After she reached Level 10, I changed active households to create a Stylist Sim. I’m enjoying this career a lot. I had more fun with the architect track though. I want to try the Ghosthunter Sim next but I’m too much of a wuss, even if it’s just a game. How’s your game play going?
Any good read recos? I just finished Candace Bushnell’s “The Carrie Diaries,” which was about Carrie Bradshaw’s life in high school. I also finished Emily Giffin’s “Heart of the Matter,” which was about adultery from the perspective of the wife and the other woman. This was a very absorbing read although I wanted to throw the book several times because I was so irritated with the husband. That just means the character development was pretty cool, I suppose. I’m looking forward to reading Charlaine Harris’ “Dead in the Family,” the 10th installment in the Sookie Stackhouse novels. What books do you think I should I put on my nightstand next?
I need a vacation. Oh wait, I said that already.
Photo credit: “Hot Coffee on a Rainy Day” by DeaPeaJay/Flickr.
Let’s take a break from the mush and check out another thing that makes me weak in the knees — Thai cuisine!
I checked out the Thai Food Festival of Mandarin Oriental yesterday. Gah. If you do attend, get yourself a serving of the fresh pomelo salad, spicy beef strips and red curry with prawns. Silly me, I didn’t get their exact names. I didn’t even remember to take a picture of my plate. I couldn’t wait to dive in!
Dessert was interesting. If you like coconut, you’d be in coconut heaven with Thai sweets. The watermelon was a very good way to end the meal. It calmed the spiciness in my tongue and was very refreshing!
This is the 3rd Thai Festival and the 2nd one I’ve taken a bite out of. The Thai Food Festival will be on till June 7th at Paseo Uno, Mandarin Oriental. 
I recommend you go spice up one mealtime of yours and go “Oooooh!” and “Aaaah!” with the deliciously spicy Thai food they have to offer.
I want to go back!!
