Are you a Witch?

Do you have an affinity with black cats? (here I am about cats again!) Do you have a big cauldron? Are you fond of black pointy hats? Do you have a friendly relationship with spiders and toads? Do you use a broom for transport? Do you feel energetic when there's a full moon? If you said yes to all that, then fairytale has it, you are indeed a witch. Congratulations! or My apologies...Depends how you take it. Nowadays, witches aren't always portrayed as unsightful nor vile as they used to be. There's Sabrina, blond and pretty and look at Kiki (Kiki's Delivery Service created by Hayao Miyazaki; excellent movie, you can't miss!) so cute and adorable! And there is Glinda too, from the Wizard Oz. Glinda is the good witch with such a silvery voice, as opposed to her sister the Wicked Witch of the West, the mean grotesque looking one. And then there is a third kind of witch. Those who can easily kiss a booboo away, those who can scare the monsters under the bed, those who can make any little thing alright, those who can make an old green shirt into a Peter Pan costume (well alright, maybe into a Leprechaun!). That proves they have magical potential according to the witch's handbook, but in the real world, we call them Mothers. Mothers could be scary as witches, I couldn't agree more. So if you are a mother and you do not wish to fall into the bad witch category, follow these *two-hard-and-fast rules:
1. The Witch's Rede: "As it harms none, do what you will"
2. Threefold Law: "Whatever you do, returns to you threefold"
If you follow these rules, you might graduate with honors at Hogwarts. And maybe, motherhood will just be well nigh magical.  

Go witch!

*Source: The Witch's Handbook, A Field Guide to Magic  by Emily Dickenson

Cat Café

I wasn't sure what to make of that at first. Easily I thought of civet coffee. Ah! What if worse? Being in Korea, it wouldn't take much for one to imagine being served a feline caffeinated drink. Neither of those were true as I later found out. The Cat Café in Myeong-dong has over 20 cats to take pictures of, to pet, to feed, to play with and hang out with. They serve coffee- latté, cappuccino, mocha, regular things like that (thank goodness!)- which comes free with the 8,000 KRW you pay to enter (I pay 5000 KRW for Stan too, kids over 36 months are charged; he gets a free orange juice or tea). They don't really serve food there as they don't want the cats to go haywire. Instead they give you some little jelly cups that have cat food in them (which I almost gave to Oliver thinking it was jell-o!) that you can feed to the tabbies. Except for those who are accoutremented with pink ribbons around their necks. These ones are on a diet. Cute! (I need a pink ribbon myself!) As much as I don't believe in clichés, sometimes I defer to one, "curiosity kills a cat", indeed. While my sons are having a ball, I am all the while petrified. You know how dog lovers claim they hate cats? Well I am in a different level altogether. I am appalled by cats as I am by vermin. And yet there I am in a café full of toms, sipping my coffee with feigned composure until this hairless cat lands suddenly and yet gracefully on my table. It is called the Sphinx Cat. And alas! It is no less than one of the ugliest animals in the world! http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/galleries/the_worlds_ugliest_animals_/the_worlds_ugliest_animals_.html. Sometimes my days are uneventful, but sometimes I get myself into unexpected thrills like that. Not bad for 8,000Won! You will have a blast if you happen to like cats.

Kindle

I wonder how many could immediately tell this is about Amazon's latest cash cow (or perhaps some are expecting I am coming up with something profoundly poetic here. Buzz! you lose a turn). The BBC news says that Amazon's Kindle made excellent figures this summer (a rise of 39% in sales) some forecast an even gargantuan growth by the end of the year. But what about print? What will my licked thumb turn to next page? What will I dog-ear? The bookshelves will be left empty, the bookmarks unused. And think about all the work done behind a book/magazine - color separating, printing, folding, binding. Oh what a beautiful thing, print. I will madly miss it when it becomes archaic. On the other hand, I would like to think this will take us to the era when we could finally fly light. When we don't have to carry books in our carry-ons, when we don't have to pack tons of volumes when we moves places, when sorting what to and what not to keep, is over. When acquiring does not have to be possessing. That time when we own less and less and less...and most of all, when we stop losing trees.

But in the meantime, I love print.

3 Crowns and a Bridge

In full acquisition as of yesterday with sweat, blood and toil. Impressive as it may be if it were a monarchic success, it is but a dental affair that lasted an arduous two months. Complete with 3 root canals on my belt! So now I have a "beautiful smile line-up", as the slogan in my dentist's office says (I live in South Korea, where "morning view give me wide mind").


2 sons later, I finally adhere to the Yiddish proverb, "when a thief kisses you, count your teeth". I should have known these little angels have robbed me blind of my calcium reserve. From the womb to the years I breastfed them. I was a good pregnant lady, I flossed and brushed my teeth with the piety of a monk -mostly because I feared the lash of periodontal disease- but I was not as vigilant to the call of guarding my teeth from damnation at postpartum. So here I am now, gnashing my teeth (pun intended), paying the price of not loading up on my calcium intake while breastfeeding, at 1,000 mg RDA. To this day I do not drink milk (no, I don't walk the talk) instead I count on Häagen-Dazs as substitute, which I equally regret! Heed that, "we are not born to have cavities", it is not my priest who said that, but the National Institutes of Health (though I'd believe my priest anyway!). If you are a Thomas requiring proof, click http://www.nih.gov/about/researchresultsforthepublic/ToothDecay.pdf. You'll find a Fact Sheet (from the NIH) that will tell you what you need to know about teeth- Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow. 

Because saving our teeth is a battle worth fighting for. 

Goin Bananas

Prices of produce have skyrocketed the past few days (to prove a point, a quarter of a cabbage now costs more than 3,000 KRW (about 2.66 US$ or 115.00 PHp). It is pretty serious that news has it, they might start charging for Kimchi in restaurants one of these days. That would be tragic to some of us.

As for me, having to pay an arm and a leg for bananas IS tragic. It grows on trees where I come. Fortunately the other day, I found a good deal. I was able to get a bunch of them (approximately a little more than 1,000 grams/ 9 bananas) for something shy of 5,000 KRH (4.49 US$ or 194.00 PhP). Of course it is in its ripest possible state; almost got a Best Before Tomorrow printed on it. Ah what pressure! My husband does not like bananas at all. My boys do, but I sincerely don't expect them to gorge on it, say 4 each in a day, unless I wish them constipation! And me, well, I do like it. But 9 in a sitting? Seriously? I have to be creative.

I remember the times when I used to bake a lot. Name it- from muffins, to brownies, carrot cakes to breads. Our apartment used to smell like a sweet tooth's Mecca because I would whip something up everyday. Sometimes more than once a day. I have the bathroom scale to attest to that! However, recently (perhaps due to my fall out with the bathroom scale) I have not been so motivated. Good thing I actually didn't get into the business. Lest I would see it slowly wilt away. But today, I've got to kick myself and drag my unmotivated baking hands to the kitchen to do something about those bananas! And so it went in the oven, mashed and all and came out as banana bread. Not bad. Except that, I have about 5 more to go. Darn! Lesson learned? Never, never fall for the red sign that says SALE. Never! Or...well, be motivated. Because no matter the detour, you'll always end up with something worthwhile.

People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing -- that's why we recommend it daily." - Zig Ziglar, motivational speaker

I wish I may, I wish I might

Last night we watched Pinocchio (1940) by Walt Disney based on the Adventures of Pinocchio by the Italian author Carlo Lorenzini (more popularly known by his pen name, Carlo Collodi). I remember seeing this movie when I was younger but I recall very little about it. Mostly all about the poor boy's disturbing nose. How can I not remember that, to become real, one ought to be "brave, truthful and unselfish"? I felt a stab of guilt when the beautiful blue fairy said that in her musical voice. By golly, it made me think about my existence! Not so much as how Mr. Sartre would put it, but I simply wondered, am I wood? Occasionally useful? but otherwise hard, heartless, inert? Lions-and-tigers-and-bears, oh-my! (from The Wizard of Oz). In all fairness though, I know I am quite "brave" (granted it is a calculated risk!) and I do try to be "truthful" in most of my dealings (granted it is mutual!)...but "unselfish"? I cannot find a defense for that! (..er...I did breastfeed?) To be real is a tough call, to follow through is a greater challenge. It is not just knowing what is right from wrong, but doing it and sticking to it when no one else is on your side. To be real (brave, truthful and unselfish) will set one apart. Only then will Life truly happen.

Looking at my children now, these are my Jiminy Crickets. They are my guide. For who else can truly teach me how to be brave, truthful and unselfish but these pure at heart? Pinocchio is aimed to teach the old.

"The value of marriage is not that adults produce children but that children produce adults."

Noodles

In the Philippines, we refer to Ramen Noodles as simply, "noodles". Sometimes we call it Maggie (a popular brand name that makes ramen noodles), otherwise we say Lucky Me (its competing brand). Ramen is generally known to be from Japan of Chinese origin. Why they don't say it is from China, to make things simpler, I can't tell. Some say that it comes from the Chinese word "la mian", and that "ramen" is how the Japanese could best pronounce it. In Korea they say 라면 romanized as "ramen" but seems to be pronounced "ram-yon", perhaps from the word "le mien" in Cantonese that means "to stir" (the process of stirring the noodles with the sauce). 

Growing up in the Philippines I only know how to make it one way: throw everything in boiling water and serve. We are very straight forward like that when it comes to our noodles. What I missed though, is not getting the most nutrients from it except sodium overload. Living in South Korea for the past three years, well...besides acquiring the taste for kimchi, I learned how to dress up my old time favorite noodles. And I call it--



Maggie gets Lucky Recipe

Medium Onion
Mushrooms
Green pumpkin

Sesame leaves
Chicken broth

Pack of Ramen noodles

-Boil water with chicken broth
-Toss noodles and chopped vegetables in. Simmer until cooked.
-Add the seasoning. If possible on half of the packet. Add soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. Top with dried sage and serve.

Night Light

It was not the the 4th of July, it was not the Olympics, it was not (yet) New Year's Eve but Saturday Night was ūber spectacular! Our prolific family of four joined the throng of people in Seoul. With all the hustle and bustle around, it surely felt like all 12 million of the Seoul  population was in attendance, all headed to the banks of the Han River to witness the International Fireworks Show. We could have chosen a distantly strategic spot to watch it (like from a friend's roof deck) but we stubbornly chose to be perched up on a little hill at Ichon Park. It wasn't so bad, we had a good view, just that every now and then I would uncontrollably and unstoppably roll downhill tagging along with me our two tots (3 years old and 2; They're 20 months apart). The three of us laughed as uncontrollably and unstoppably as our descent. When we'd try to climb up, we'd start laughing that we would just end up at the bottom of the hill again. My husband looked concerned and entertained at the same time, watching us from up there (he always has his feet planted firmly on the ground, I give him that!). While there I was, his better half -falling all over myself- struggling to get a grip! The pyrotechnics was absolutely impressive! A French team, called Groupe F was featured (they performed at the Opening Night of the Hi Seoul Festival 2010). They did the 2010 Dubai "Burj Khalifa" Inauguration, 2009 Paris 'Celebrating 120 years of Eiffel Tower', 2004 Athens Olympic Games' Opening and closing etc., so you can just imagine the grandness of the event! It lasted for 2 hours.

Our boys have a regular bedtime at 9pm every night but that Saturday night. After the fireworks extravaganza, we met up with some friends. Thing 2 (referring to 2nd son) and I retired at midnight but my husband and Thing 1 (1st son) stayed out until 2:30 a.m. Thing 1 surely had a blast, that he wasn't so pleased to find the fun over (so early in the morning let me add!). We told him, we know exactly how that feels (boy! don't we?), but that there is a time for everything, that it is time to sleep. He didn't seem convinced but he must have been too tired to argue that he just crawled up on his bed without another word. The next morning, he wanted to watch the fireworks again. Who didn't?

"Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible". -Virginia Satir (1916-1988) [http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/satir2.html].

Left-over Make-over

I am probably not in the Iron Chef level in my culinary prowess but I am certainly trying out for the fairygodmother-in-the-kitchen category these days. I must admit, I wouldn't mind wearing a cocktail dress avec glitters on my face while doing a stir fry, but I am simply talking about turning a rugged little left over meal into a magically transformed dish action here. Like that old beef and cabbage I had the other night. It was meant to be meatloaf until I realized I couldn't find my bread pan (the boys must have used it as their car carrier or something in that line of equipment) so I ended up sauteing the minced beef with garlic and onion, added a few chopped mushrooms and celery and thinly sliced cabbage. I served it with boiled potatoes. That was that. The next night was when the real legerdemain happened. I turned that old predictable dish into an enchanting Sheperdess Pie (recipe below) that awakened the gourmand in my household. How marvelous to hear the "ummm! ummm!" all around! It stayed with me until I rested my head to sleep that night. Being on the roll I tried another wizardry a few nights later. It was Project Old Roast Chicken that time. What to do with a half consumed bird looking torso-nu, baring its skinny bones? It couldn't be any more unappealing. So I did it a favor and sang "allouette" as I gently shredded off what was left of its meat. Setting it aside, I poured EVOO in a little pot, sauteed garlic and onion, threw in a couple of peeled, cored, chopped ripe tomatoes  added the shredded chicken meat and some water (wish I had chicken broth then! so un-iron chef-like without one!), and brought it to boil. My magic wand pointed at the quick-cook couscous in my cupboard and I threw those in after boiling. A minute or two later, voila! An enticing fluffy couscous chicken pilaf  sat on our dining table ready to be devoured by hungry little beasts.

Ah! If that isn't magic, I don't know what is.

Sometimes, a second chance is all that's needed. Yes some call it magic, I'd like to name it Hope. Hope substantiated is the most beautiful thing. If only we can put that in all that we do, no matter how trivial, we can make ordinary things extraordinary.




Sheperdess Pie recipe:


1/2 lb. ground beef
1/2 cup mushrooms
1 cup (or more) cabbage
1/2 cup celery
small onion
4 cloves garlic
salt and pepper

6-7 small potatoes
cream

margarine, beef cube, flour, little water, paprika and parsley

Boil Potatoes. Add salt after boiling.

Fry garlic, add meat to brown. Add vegetables.

For gravy: in a small pan, put margarine and half a beef cube and flour to thicken. Add tablespoon of water as necessary. Add gravy to pan with meat. Stir until combined.

-preheat oven to 180'C

Mash potatoes and add softened cream/ or sour cream. Put meat on pan top with potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika and parsley. Broil for 15 minutes.

Bien-être

At 16, I had that as my eau de toilette. I didn't quite know how to pronounce it then (bien-être and eau de toilette both) until about a year later when I started my major in French. Whether that had something to do with it, or it was my sheer desire to pursue a career in languages (not that I knew what that meant back then either, I wish I did!) I couldn't be too sure. It was rather fulfilling to be able to enunciate the scent I wore. The complex French "r" and the the play of liaison was enough to be belauded of my linguistic skill. That of course didn't bring me very far. But at least the word lived on...

Especially now living in Seoul. Many things around me are called Well Being. From fermented rice drinks to big supermarkets. Even a restaurant that serves charcoal grilled pork (Duegi Galbi) is called a Well Being Restaurant (is that even possible?).The breadth of its usage is just so vast. And sometimes loose. It makes you wonder if it is at all meaningful.

If you translate Bien-être to English it gives you Welfare. This anglicized version connotes and denotes many other things beyond colognes and pork restaurants. It depends too whether the context is American or British. Indeed this word is more complex than the rolled "r" it has en francais. But what is essentially true is that it means "harmony in oneself and others". Take this word to France, Korea, England or America, all it's trying to say is "realization of oneself". Whoever we are. Whatever we speak. Where ever we live.

And hopefully, we could dare say it. Somehow.

Flaxseeds

At breakfast my 3 year old son asked me why I put pixie dust on his cereal (referring to the flax seeds I generously dashed over his cheerios). I was tempted to say, so you can be like Peter Pan. But I didn't. First because I didn't want to address the questions that would follow (more like afraid really) and second because I didn't want to have to make things up. So I ended up doling the bitter truth-- that it wasn't pixie dust but mere mundane tiny little flaxseeds that will make him stronger (I could have added because it contains Omega 3,6 and 9 but then again, you just don't shoot info to a 3 year old if you are not armed). So it ended there. Stan happily ate his fortified morning meal assured of its health benefits. Or who knows? He was probably hoping, he could then fly.

What will you read about in this blog? There will be a mille fouille of family, culture, cuisine. A slice of life, a piece of heaven, a pinch of reality, at noon. It's surely won't be pixie dust, But still, I hope it can take you to Neverland...

it's about time

I like noon. It doesn't require time to tell time. Just, "noon". A powerful word that evokes "un arrêt". A brief stop. A moment to recoup. A midday break. Although it never always meant midday. It used to be the end of the day in ancient times. Nevertheless, it is such a lovely time, noon. So now, at noon, I will stop. And write.

As the sun reaches its highest elevation in the sky, I will try to reach the deepest part of my mine...