Fish at San Jose Public Market

Mama gave us a three-level steamer last September when she visited.  Since then, I've just used it for steamed Lapu-Lapu, steamed carrots and steamed rice.

Last weekend, I decided to make frequent trips to the New Public Market of San Jose and learn about local fish from the fishmongers.  I will buy fish, steam them, and try them! Steamed fish is the best way to taste fish! 

The fishermen usually arrive at about 4:00P.M. with their day's catch, and the market will be alive and bustling with the noises of huge knives splitting large tuna, the grating of heavy pails and crates filled with ice and fish against the pavement and the banging of the aluminum trays against the weighing scales.  All the hype will die down after an hour, and the catch will last up to about noon the next day.   So off we went: Elise, Nacho and I. 

The fish section was wet.  But it was NOT smelly.  Elise said the air smelled a little sweet, like sweet smelling fish, good enough to eat. Nacho's eyes were wide open and he was talking nonstop about all the different shapes and colors of everything.

Saw some eel. Unagi!  Can't steam that.

Some "mulmol", sometimes called "loro" or parrot fish were available.  But they're endangered, so I did not have the heart to buy them.  Although I heard that when they are grilled over a charcoal fire, they are very tasty, and the the liver is especially delicious.  But then again, NO!  They are endangered!

Saw some "pagi" or mantarays. They are usually cooked in coconut milk, but I wasn't sure how.  Besides, I tasted some before and did not really love them...

Saw some "karatungan".  Looked like rock fish, but I was not sure.  The fish's back was covered with spines, which you have to pull out with tweezers as part of the preparation process. But the meat, they said, is very tender. I wasn't up to the spine-pulling preparation, so we skipped that. 

I asked the fishmonger what fish is good to steam, and she pointed to some "kanuping" or "isdang bato", and at P100 per kilo, two good sized ones found their way to my cutting board...

 ...and to our steamer, along with some ginger and leeks and all those good stuff.  Okra and tomatoes went on the first level of the steamer, and the rice went on the second level. A complete meal in one cooking appliance! 

The meat was so firm and tender.  The taste was so, so clean, with no aftertaste. The skin was thick, and it easily came off, I almost peeled it from the cooked fish. I suspect that this fish would also be good when skinned, filleted and used for fish 'n' chips or fish sticks, or with some sort of oyster sauce-shitake mushroom sauce. 

We enjoyed our simple meal with all the condiments!  Toyo (soy sauce), calamansi (Philippine lemon), siling labuyo (red chili pepper), suka (vinegar), and bagoong (fish paste)!

Coral Casualty

Nacho and I went to El Nido with some friends for a few days. Despite this casualty story, I had a tremendously great time. 


We only had one day to go island hopping, so we took a combo island hopping tour - a cross between Tour A (caves) and Tour B (beaches).   For some reason, I decided not to wear my aqua socks and was confident enough that my slippers will get me through some island hopping fun.  I did the tour before and some of my companions were in slippers and they were fine. The first of seven stops was Small Lagoon.  I alighted from our boat and took Nacho from the boatman. And we were off, swimming our way to the entrance of the Small Lagoon.


I did not anticipate the waves.   When we were last there, the water was calm.  My slippers slipped away from my feet and I managed to grab them before they were taken away by the current. With our new underwater camera strapped around my elbow, we continued.  I kicked again, and felt my leg scratch against something hard and sharp.  I went underwater and saw some black coral on my right.  I glanced at my leg, and noticed some jagged red scratches. Okay, not too serious.

Then a strong wave pushed us.  I slammed on the coral again with the same leg. Ugh. It hit he side of my lower shin. And THAT hurt.

As soon as we got to shallower water, I took a look at my leg.  It was, well, lightly lacerated with small 1cm cuts, some of them deep.  I had a few long scratches too.  I took a deep breath as it was freaking me out.  I heard that there were some reef sharks in El Nido, and I know that sharks are attracted to blood, and I knew that my cuts were bleeding, and there are reef sharks in some parts of Palawan... and my cuts were bleeding, and sharks were attracted to blood - this kept on going around in my head. Yikes. Paranoid.

I was determined to shake off all the bad vibes.  It was about 9:30a.m. and we still had the whole day. We enjoyed almost an hour of swimming, snorkeling, picture-taking, and just floating around.  But there were a lot of people going in and out of the lagoon, so we couldn't really enjoy the peace and quiet. Okay, we too were not exactly quiet.  But when Nacho and I were there with family last June, we had the whole place to ourselves for a while, and  were able to enjoy the water sounds and the bird sounds.

A friend aboard the boat lent me some Chinese medicine called Mopidick that came in a small bottle, and you just dab the liquid on to your cut.  It stung for a bit and then numbed the cuts.  I found out later that Mopidick is also good for burns, insect bites and other skin irritations. That night, I poured alcohol over the cuts.  Another friend shared with me some of her antibacterial cream before going home the next day.

But they still stung even after we got back from the trip!  Rene said that there are microorganisms in the corals, and when you cut yourself, these tiny things will be caught in your skin as well.  After a while, the cut could develop an infection. So, I cleaned them again, this time with some Hydrogen Peroxide, applied Betadine, then antibacterial Fucidin, covered the nine small ones with Band Aids and four large ones with gauze then took a tablet of Celestamine (just in case I get an allergic reaction).  With all those bandages, my leg looked much worse than it actually was - looked a bit exaggerated, actually.

A full 24 hours later, I removed all the bandages and voila, I got my scabs! Amazing how the body can fix itself.

Later, I discovered that those corals could really be dangerous and in some cases, fatal.  So, bring your hydrogen peroxide, antibacterial ointments and some Band Aids the next time you go snorkeling!  Just in case!

And, by the way, I also learned that being stung by jellyfish is much more of a worry than being attacked by a reef shark.  Reef sharks are fearful of humans!  And for jellyfish, just bring vinegar!

The House Project Continues...

We decided not to look for a lot anymore.  Instead, a house to rent seems much better.  So, Nacho and I have been house hunting these past two weeks, and are just about ready to show Rene and Elise our shortlist.

Meanwhile, below is our wish list:

1.  It has to have a spacious garden with at least one big tree where we could put up a tree house or a tire swing.
2.  Bungalow is better. No worries about falling down the stairs.
3.  Location must be well-lighted, and close to the main road.
4.  Location must be near Rene's workplace, the church, the new market and a small grocery store.
5.  The kitchen must have space for a big oven where I can bake and take orders for loaves, cakes, muffins, and other stuff.
6.  A small space for a homeschooling group will be set aside inside the house. I really want to homeschool Nacho again next school year.
7.  All of the above!  And if God wills it, it can be Lease To Own!

There are two sites.  And one of them has everything covered except #7, as it is actually for sale.  Hopefully, we can view them next week and convince the owner, who is not in a hurry, to make #7 happen!

Car Wash

Typhoon Juan brought some rainfall here in Puerto Princesa.  And the roads turning from the National Highway were slippery and muddy.  Nacho and I did a lot of errands before picking up Elise in the afternoons in those two days.  When the sun came out, all the mud caked on the road, and left trails of hardened soil everywhere - and especially under the car and around the hubcaps.

It was time to wash the car - top, sides and underneath.  We have our car washed weekly in a shop beside the KIA Showroom in Barangay San Manuel.  It's spacious and there are four young men, probably below 25 years old, who move so fast, that they can wash, wax, vacuum, and underwash the car in less than an hour.   

There is a television set that shows either Pinoy noontime shows or telenovelas and a long row of bamboo sofas which are very comfortable.

The last time we were there, I saw the sign saying that they could remove and install the seat covers for P100.  Since it would be impossible for me to wash the seat covers myself, I thought it was a good price. When I told them not to use bleach on them, they gave me a puzzled look.  Then I asked when I could get the covers back, they looked confused, talked a bit among themselves and agreed that the covers would be done in two days.  When we came back for them, they told me to add P10 for the soap and about P50 for the labor, as they hand-washed the covers. The price list only included removing it, and installing it, not washing it. Uh-okay. So, this time, their sign included "laba" or "wash" at P100 on top of the "tanggal/balik" or "remove/install" at P100 too.  On this particular day. I asked them to do the "underwash" in addition to the "body wash" that already includes interior vacuuming.  Took them a while to remove all the mud.

But Nacho and I did not mind. Across the bamboo sofa where we was sitting, we watched a couple of
horses grazing on the wet grass, and a few egrets flying back and forth.  Locally, they're called tagak.  They are usually perched on the back of carabaos too, just watching and waiting.  Apparently, carabaos are not bothered by these white birds, as the egrets eat the ticks and blood-sucking flies that bother the carabaos.  They also eat grasshoppers, beetles, and lizards in the grass.  We talked a lot about what we saw. And time flew by so fast.  Before we knew it, our car was clean, and we had to continue our egret conversation on the way to Elise's school.

Play Dough For Sale

Thanks to Tita Corinne who taught Elise how to make play dough from scratch, the kids now have a renewed interest in molding and sculpting.  Elise tried to sell some in her school for P5 apiece but was gently told by Teacher that selling stuff in school is not permitted.  Too bad, she had 13 orders pending.  Her classmates' faces fell. So, she ended up "lending" them the play dough and Teacher said that if they lose it, they would have to pay for it. Too funny.

Meanwhile, Nacho enjoys them and makes waffles and pancakes for his three imaginary friends: Tatur, B.O. (don't ask me what they stand for, he said it doesn't stand for anything) and Baylon.  This imaginary friend thing is in itself another story.

The last time we played with these things was during the tsunami scare in February right after the Chile earthquake.  We had to stay indoors and so the kids made some pretend food for breakfast

 

and a birthday cake for Annie (Elise's baby doll).

Super creative, huh?  But we had some cheat sheets. Thanks to Tito Louie, who gave us three clay modeling books for kids.

They're called SMARTY Clay Modeling produced by Dolphin Books, published by Straight Lines International, Inc. located at Sterling Place, 2302 Pasong Tamo Ext., Makati City 1231, Philippines. 

This is not a paid advertisement.  I am just so happy with the little paperback books that make our playtime much more fun! 

Our Favorite Chinese Restaurant in Palawan

In mid-December last year (2009), our family was invited to Ong's Maki House on Rizal Avenue.  I was so excited to finally try it.

A few months ago, when the kids and I were still in Manila, Rene called me on my mobile phone to tell us the good news that absolutely could not wait. He just had a very delicious dinner at an authentic Chinese restaurant! It was a chance he took when he took a a Chinese friend who was craving for authentic Chinese cuisine, and none of the commonplace flavors.  No MSG please.


The tiled floor, the red Chinese lanterns, paper umbrellas in different colors, and the sponsored signages felt vaguely familiar, like we were in one of those sidewalk Hong Kong restaurants near the MTR tunnel.  Or we could be in a Chinatown somewhere... anywhere in the world.  I was so excited.

And it did not disappoint.  Hot eel soup warmed our stomachs. Then came the kutchay gyoza.  They let us taste the pork siomai and the giant siopao too. And then we were so lucky to try the chicharong pusit (deep-fried squid).  Ay grabe, it was a winner!  It sort of tasted like Davao's tuna chicharon. And because I LOVE squid so much, it was an early Christmas treat!

Their fish fillet is piled up on a regular sized platter, forming a small mound, for less than P200!  Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside, it doesn't become soggy even after being in a styrofoam container on the way to the pot luck party.  The chef knows what temperature to firy his fish in.

And so, we've gone back so frequently since then - almost every month, and this week, thrice! Yes, they have the Yang Chow Fried Rice and all those dishes that make you come back again and again.  But lately, it has become a place for comfort food.

This is the Siopao that Nacho and I can share and have a full lunch.

Super lean Pork Siomai. 

Beef Maki for three people. YUMMMMMMM.

Classic Chicken Noodle Soup that Rene had that was so good that I ordered it the next time.

Squash siopao bread to pair with any soup.

Last week, we brought my brother, his wife and two toddlers, and we waddled out fully satisfied.

Aloha House

We first chanced upon this place a few months ago when we were viewing some empty lots for sale at Santa Monica.  It was behind a 1,000 square meter lot along the main road.  As the sun already set, and the sky was getting dark, the place was closed.  I saw a small sign that herbs were for sale.  I made a mental note to myself to make this one of the places that we should visit soon.

The perfect opportunity came a few days ago when Mama and her sister, Tita Baby, visited us here in Palawan.  The Aloha House was right on Mitra Road on the way back from Baker's Hill, where we had lunch. 

We knocked on the gate and we were let in by a nice Cebuano speaking lady.

She led us right to the Farm Store.

There were bottles of molasses, virgin coconut oil, coconut-pineapple jam and pesto.  They even had brown, red and black organic rice.

There were also some crocheted goblet covers and necklaces made by the women.

Mama and Tita Baby shopped for a bit.

A small roundabout was in the center, surrounded by a see-saw and and some bouncing wooden animals, all set on a little pool of smooth white stones. Elise and Nacho noisily played and the lady had to ask them to tone it down, as the little orphan babies were napping.

We took a peek inside, and there were several cribs side by side where the children, some barely a year old, were stretching and yawning and napping. Aloha House is also an orphanage licensed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development. 

Across the store was a cozy open living room where a friendly dog was sitting.

Behind the sofa were little cars made from small plastic water drums with wheels fastened to them.  They were linked together to form some sort of pull-train.  VERY CLEVER!!!

Another clever thing was a dog house with a small tunnel.

All these were overlooking a rolling garden of lettuce,

tomatoes, 

and gotocula! I got very excited when I saw gotocula, as Mama keeps a pot of these in her porch at home and eats about three leaves a day.  It helps her arthritis.  She gives them away to people whom she knows might need them for arthritis.  It is also known to sharpen memory.  Last year, when she found out I had joint pains in my hands, she gave me some, and since we have not tended to our garden in Manila, I found them all over the bermuda grass in our garden.  Here, a few days ago when they visited Lawiswis Organics in Irawan, she she asked for some.  So I have a pot of it sitting on some water in our balcony, waiting for me to plant them in a nice pot with some topsoil.  I now eat two to three leaves a day and my joint pains are gone!

I wandered to the back and found another rolling field full of vegetables and herbs and found out that they also sell fresh lettuce.

There were some training materials since Aloha House is also a center for training for sustainable agriculture. Some folks over from the Department of Agriculture even trained here.

They also sell cheese: cheddar, mozzarella and feta. Yum. They are building a creamery at the back and it is almost complete.  No wonder we saw some goats grazing on the grassy lot across the house. 

By this time, all I could think of was FRESH green salad with sweet red tomatoes tossed in some coco vinaigrette, sprinkled with feta cheese.  But we'll have to go back for that creamery.  When it's completed, we'll take another field trip.

Vacation in the City

For someone who grew up in Manila amidst the rising of the malls since SM North Edsa, had SM Megamall, Robinsons Galleria and Shangrila Plaza a walking distance away, I was awed by my recent mall trips a week ago. I wanted to go into every store, look at all the new things, and taste all the interesting food.  Even the supermarket excited me and I got a high from reading labels and just marveling at all the choices!  I truly turned into a promdi.

We spent an afternoon in SM Megamall and got the kids some clothes and shoes.

We dropped by their favorite ice cream shop: Thumbs Up!, where they got small portions of their favorite flavors!  No sugar high after!

Enjoyed Polly's chocolate cake twice during the trip, where it was the perfect ending of two very special birthday dinners.  What a coincidence. It IS The Best Chocolate Cake EVER.

 

 

A highlight of the trip was when the kids went to Eastwood City with their cousins.

We watched Despicable Me,

had a burger lunch at Stackers,

and went bungee jumping.  

 

We carefully watched everyone else who tried it.  The kids went twice. The first one scared them, leaving them stiff and almost throwing up. But they pleaded for a second one, and this time, they just let go and had fun.

Can you find Nacho among the branches? 

Here is little cousin Nina, who was the bravest of them all.

Finished the afternoon off with some yoghurt in Dash, a cozy toy shop.

Most of our time was spent talking and spending time together with family, which is why visited in the first place.  Even got to visit Papa more than once.

Now, everything is the other way around.  I used to escape the bright city life and travel to the seaside every few months.  Now, I live by the sea, and go off to the city once every few months.

We are back to the reality of studying with Elise and Nacho, going on our final stretch of house hunting, and gearing up our entrepreneurial spirit for the upcoming holidays.

After catching up on some much-needed rest when we got back, we ran straight to the beach!

And played once more.

And peacefully ended the day. 

Been back and forth for nine months, and it looks like this is Home Sweet Home.