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Since moving to Nashville — our third Christmas here — we’ve been spending Christmas Eve with Filipinos. (The Philippines typically starts celebrating Christmas on the Eve, and keeps going until the following day. Actually, Christmas starts on December 16 with … Continue reading
One of the things I cannot do to save my life — decorate a wreath. Thought I’d throw this in as my belated tribute to the coming of the ‘Ber months.
To Filipinos, Filipino-Americans, and Americans of Filipino descent the world over, Merry Christmas! #TheBerMonthsHaveBegun—
Thelma Bowlen (@thelmabowlen) September 01, 2011
We miss the most random things about Manila. I was shocked to find out when I returned to the US after twenty-seven years that Shakey’s could only be found in the Philippines. Or so I thought. While researching for this blog entry, guess what I found out after being back in the states for three years. SHAKEY’S. The sad reality though is that we’re in the wrong zip code!
Food franchises often adapt their menus to their locale, so in Manila, you can get rice and gravy to go with your fried chicken. (Not a fan of rice with gravy myself though, but, whatever floats your boat!) One of our huge Shakey’s favorites in Manila is their Pepperoni Crunch Pizza. Before you retch and hurl in disgust, listen to what it is: a pepperoni pizza sprinkled with shoestring potato chips! Still feel like hurling? Your loss.
I regaled my colleagues recently on the wonders of this particular flavor and in a room full of ten people, two actually nodded in “that sounds good!” agreement!
Housewarming parties in the U.S. are different from the way they’re done in the Philippines, where they’re more popularly known as House Blessings.
Here, you invite people over either to come and go as they please within a long window of time, or you designate a shorter specific time frame. For our housewarming, Kyera and I chose the former. We wanted guests to come and go as they pleased, without the need for lengthy socializing.
In the Philippines, one actually prepares lots of food for guests. Almost always, it’s an elaborate catered buffet spread; or a fiesta-like atmosphere with a roasted pig; sometimes, a mixture of both. And almost always, the presence of a Catholic priest to drive out demons and spirits and pronounce ones house blessed. (People usually throw in the blessing of a statue of Mary or a baby Jesus that was in all likelihood purchased specifically for one’s new home. At least that’s what my Catholic mom did.) Your regular, garden variety Born Again Christian — like myself — would have a pastor come over and say a prayer of thanks and blessing.
Such a far cry from our Housewarming!
Seeing that this is our first house and that we don’t have a catering budget, I asked about options.
My dear friend, Michele, enlightened me. No need for elaborate food, either potluck, or even cheese and crackers would do. Me like cheese and crackers. And time it after lunch and before dinner so people know it’s a sans food-food affair. Me like.
Actual gift cards not in picture.
So that’s what we did. Really. We bought a couple of ready-made platters of cheese, crackers, and cold cuts, and of course, bottles of soda, rushed home from church on Mother’s Day, tidied up the house, and wondered if anyone would show up between 2-5 in the afternoon. (You know how the Law of Averages works! Invite ten, five confirm, two show up.) Of course, almost everyone who confirmed actually did come! And the ones who said they would but couldn’t make it, had legitimate last minute reasons for not.
The other major difference is that Housewarmings in the U.S. involve guests bringing gift cards or items you’ve written on a Wish List that goes out with your invitation. Yikes. That part made me cringe! Tell people what you want and see if they bring it?! We did and. . . so did our guests.
Mother’s Day. That’s another story in itself. The Housewarming was supposed to be the week earlier but that was the weekend that has landed in the History Books as the Weekend of Nashville’s Historic Flood. The weather report for that weekend was rain so I decided to postpone it.
Here’s a Qik video of the morning of The Rain. What happened to us is fodder for another post.
I’ve never thought of myself as a cook so it’s one skill that I’m definitely not passing on to Kyera. You know how most moms have family recipes passed down through generations that they pass on to their daughters who will then pass them on to their daughters? Not happening here. At best, Kyera will learn how to not burn eggs and not make things explode in the microwave. And how to be an early adopter of things online.
At the beginning of 2010, I suddenly had a craving for menudo and actually Googled a recipe. Without over thinking—and eventually changing my mind—I wrote down the ingredients, minus the traditional chickpeas, tripe, bell peppers and chorizo de bilbao (sausage). (K and I don’t like the first 3 and I didn’t know where to find chorizo.)
The Filipino penchant for Christmas is assumed to be something collectively shared by all Filipinos. My colleagues caught me listening to Christmas songs last May and naturally thought that I am a huge fan of December 25th. (I happened to chance upon an iTunes radio station that played Christmas songs and found myself listening longer than intended and tweeting about it.)
Am I a fan of Christmas? Yes and no.
Yes, because it’s the traditional date that we celebrate the coming of our Savior. Without which, we would have no hope at all. At. All.
No, because I don’t like the traffic and I wish I were a millionaire so I could pull an Ellen and buy people ah-mah-zing gifts.
When my mom moved us — her and me — to the Philippines in 1980, Halloween and Thanksgiving were two holidays that I didn’t think I’d ever find celebrated outside of U.S. bases Clark and Subic. It just wasn’t heard of. I remember All Saint’s Day, November 1st, was the big deal.
Cemeteries on All Hallow's Eve in the Philippines
Families would trek to cemeteries on All Hallow’s Eve (Halloween), or All Saint’s Day, to clean and spruce up the graves of the dearly departed. Some in celebratory ways that included cards and mah-jong tiles for gambling, and an assortment of chips, softdrinks, and food for grilling. It was a tradition, a major event: visiting each cemetery where each long-dead and often unknown distant relative was laid to rest.
That was the highlight of my introduction to Halloween in the Philippines. It wasn’t celebrated. It was the day after that was.
Until a year or so later when I heard of an upscale neighborhood in the south of Metro Manila known as Ayala Alabang that had trick or treating for their residents.
I didn’t know what to think of this. . . anomaly. Rich kids in costumes going to rich kids’ houses celebrating a very American holiday.
I deemed myself too old at 12 to trick or treat and chalked off one of my favorite celebrations as a tradition in the Philippines deemed for its bourgeoisie, secretly wishing I lived in Ayala Alabang or at least had friends there to wear costumes with.
And made history.
Manny Pacquiao is the only boxer in history to win titles at seven different weights, and probably the only one to sing eight songs with his band after a bout.
Enough said.
Season 6
“It’s been a sobering night,” Nigel said after Mollee and Nathan labored through their Salsa number.
They were the second to the last couple to perform tonight, as So You Think You Can Dance is down to eight couples. Karen and Kevin started off the evening with the Hustle and Karen getting a prediction of longevity from Nigel, “You are gonna go a long way in this competition!”
Mandy Moore’s jazz choreography of Frankie Goes to Hollywood’s Relax was reminiscent of her choreography of the Eurythmics’ Sweet Dreams in the Sabra and Neil number from Season 3. Tonight she had Ashleigh and Jakob use a cane; Sabra and Neil used a table.
The stage is starting to grow on us. The backdrops complement the dances. Great touch!
Nigel kicked things off announcing that Fox and Dick Clark Productions agreed that Billy Bell could return next season and go straight to Vegas while Filipino Brandon Dumlao can reapply. I’m pretty sure Julliard student Billy will make it into the Esteemed 20. As for Brandon, he has time to grow as a dancer who will hopefully be a force to reckon with.
