Thanksgiving Weekend

The day before Thanksgiving day up to Sunday was really a busy time for me. We had friends coming over for our Thanksgiving party as well as some of Ophine's family and relatives staying with us.

We had to make the house look more 'presentable' and with two kids in the house, it always becomes a deliberate effort to do so. I had to put away my studio equipment from my studio er living room I mean and make sure the kids' rooms are guests' friendly which is the hardest task of all. Anyway, when David and Missy knows visitors are coming, they in their own way try to help you but I just have to keep reminding them that they have to maintain it in that "impeccable" state for a while, which is really just a condition where they don't have their stuff lying around.

First, Mike and Cris Kabiling and their kids Mark and Angela from Jacksonville came over Wednesday night from a trip to the Key West and thankfully Ophine was able to persuade them to stay for the party Thursday night and they did but they left that night too for their 6 hour trip to Jacksonville since Cris had a scheduled work that Friday. Cris is Ophine's cousin. Then Ophine's brother Alan who now lives in the Cayman Islands together with two friends, Ricky and Dante also came over for Thanksgiving but also with the sole purpose of having their shopping spree here in Florida, knowing there will be lots of sales all over. Ophine's other cousin Gina and her friend Flora, also from the Cayman Islands also arrived that night and stayed for Thanksgiving dinner too.

I just cooked roast turkey with the usual fixins' like stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and gravy. We also ordered some Filipino food like kare-kare, lumpiang shanghai, dinuguan and puto from Amay, a Filipino who operates his restaurant and catering business. It was a potluck so we had lots of food- Lotlot's baked ham and home-made apple cider juice, Wowie's special La Paz Batchoy, Ate Edna's green been casserole, Liza's pancit bihon, Ate Debbie's desserts, etc. We were so full and after dinner, did some 'karaoke'. Surprisingly, the kids also enjoyed singing.

Then Friday morning came and with just a few hours of sleep finally decided to go to Home Depot at 5:30 am to check out the deals and happily got what I came there for, a Ryobi 18v Circular Saw and Drill combo with battery and charger for $50. Alan and company also did the same and even left earlier than me. I went home after that, took a nap and went out again to Circuit City and Best Buy but stocks don't last long on a Black Friday but I was able to snag an extra Sandisk Ultra II 2.0 gb CF card for only $45 at Best Buy, an item that was not even in their advertised sale. The card sells at Costco for $80.

Saturday, we all went to Sawgrass Mall with Alan and his friends Ricky and Dante. Continuing with their shopping spree, they cleared out Sawgrass Mall. Kidding aside, most of the time I just looked for the benches and sat. My feet have been hurting lately and I was done shopping after checking out maybe three stores.

After that we were all supposed to go to D' Ark for their famous buffet but I told Alan, we were so hungry that we already ate in the foodcourt so it was just Ophine and the Island boys who went there.

Sunday came, Ophine and the boys went to Costco, then we went to church and then after a late lunch, I drove Alan and company to the airport for their trip back home.

What is also good about this weekend, no cooking for 3 days as we have a lot of leftover food. Now it's Monday and I'm just relaxing a bit. Finally having the time to sit and think and thank God for 'life' and everything else.

Here are some photos from the party.

Winter in South Florida?

South Florida weather is known to be warm most of the time especially from April to September. October, it starts to cool a little and and November is when we start to get some cold weather. The past few days, it's been dipping to the upper 40s and 50s and I like it. I'm a cold weather guy. I sleep without my shirt on even when the inside temperature is in the 60s but I do it under a blanket. I can't stand using the heater besides heating costs 10x more than cooling. This is the time of the year I just feel comfortable with the weather.

'Movies Under the Stars' in Miramar

Last Saturday, just before the Pacquiao vs. Morales Fight, we went to the Miramar Regional Park to watch 'Ice Age 2: The Meltdown' with David and Missy. Some of our friends from our bible study group went there too. David and Missy together with their friends Justrina, Julinna, Julian and CJ had a blast.

We haven't been to a drive-through theater before and this is the closest one to that kind of experience but instead of staying in your car, we had camp chairs and mats, sleeping bags and blankets with chips, chicharon, soda, juice, etc. There were also hotdogs, hamburgers, popcorn and hot chocolate being sold.

The cost was just $1 per person and kids 5 and under were free. Missy is only 5 so $3 for a family movie is just a very good deal. Temperature was in the low 60s so it was cold but nothing a good old jacket can't solve.

I hope they'll have 'Movies Under the Stars' again. Even though it was a kids' movie that was shown, I enjoyed my time there too.

Pacquiao Overwhelms Morales in 3 Rounds

Last night's fight between Manny Pacquaio and Erik Morales was just so awesome. It only lasted 3 rounds with Manny destroying Erik Morales, a boxing legend in his own right. Freddie Roach was right all along and this is scary for all superfeatherweights out there, Manny has improved a lot, he body punches well and he had developed his right hook tremendously. Not an easy task for a southpaw. With this vast improvement, he has become one of the most fearsome boxers out there and as of this moment, being considered the best pound for pound boxer. Only Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s camp can contest that but I'm sure they have their doubts too.

Manny was just incredibly devastating last night. In his previous fights with Erik Morales, there were a few moments when he was quite tentative but not last night. Manny was deliberate, and he knows what he was doing. He was in complete control of the fight, offensively and defensively. It was pure joy and excitement too watch the fight. Erik Morales is still is a very good fighter, one of the best and credit is due him but Manny was just stronger, faster and more powerful.

After the 3rd knockdown of Erik, he just refused to stand and fight again. He knows he was beaten and he was gracious in defeat. Morales offered no excuses for his loss. "I did my best, I had the physical and mental preparation for the fight," he said humbly. "I did my best, he was just too much." Of the final knock down, he said candidly: "I was looking to my corner, and they were urging me to get up. I didn't want to get up. I think there is a time when you know its good to give up when you can't win." "It just was not to be."

When Manny was declared the winner, Erik was standing next to him and they raised each other's hand, first was Erik raising Manny's hand and then Manny raising Erik's hand with Erik pointing at Manny, finally conceding Manny is the better fighter and Erik should be admired for that. Here are photos of that timeless moment.




















In retrospect, Manny Pacquiao threw 175 punches in those 9 minutes, landing 54 percent -- including 51 of his 71 power shots in the third round alone. Morales landed just 26 percent of his punches. The power shots stats of Manny in the third round is almost unbelievable, a whopping 71.8%. Erik just had no answer to the onslaught and Manny deserved the win.

Congratulations to Manny. He is truly the pride of the Filipino people. To Erik Morales, thank you for the 'warrior' spirit in you. You didn't back down until the end and you deserved a tremendous applause too.

Citizenship Interview/Test

Ophine and I went to our scheduled citizenship interview/test this morning. Our schedule was at 8:30 am and knowing we have to be there early so as not to be caught in the rush hour traffic, we left home before 6:30 am and brought the kids to a friends' house who also have kids in Somerset Academy so David and Missy can ride with them to school. The Miami Citizenship Center is in Downtown Miami and we don't usually go there regularly. Even with the GPS, we still missed our turn especially that the street going to the building was kind of nondescript, it was just a narrow service road next to a bridge and after a few more turns, and circling around we finally reached the place.

Parking was expensive at $20, a sure way to make money since a lot of people go there but what the heck. We can park off-site for a slightly lower fee but there were a lot of constructions going around and the road was muddy so we just parked in their own site.

Anyway, we waited for a little more than 30 minutes before our names were called. I was called first and the test/interview was like 15 minutes. After all the usual formalities, standard questions, etc., etc. I passed. I went back to the waiting room and Ophine was still there. She was getting stressed that her name hadn't been called yet but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise and I was able to tell her what questions were asked about 'US history' and give her the answers. She was not able to review well and that surely helped her, she was given the same set of questions as mine. She even overheard another person being asked a different set of questions, questions she didn't know how to answer. Well, the Lord is very good! She passed too and now we just need to wait for our schedule of oath taking.

Manny Pacquiao vs. Erik Morales on Saturday

On Nov. 18, Manny Pacquiao and Erik Morales will face each other for the 3rd time in a bout dubbed 'The Grand Finale'. Having won one fight each against each other in the past, this fight is one that a lot of boxing afficionados are waiting to watch. Not just Filipinos or Mexicans but anybody who just like boxing. Manny in the past few years have attained a superstar status in the whole international boxing community and he is already being considered one of the best pound for pound boxers right now. Yesterday's Miami Herald had an article about the fight and for the first time as far as I can remember, this is their first article about Pacquiao. Click here to read it.

Although Manny is very much 'seeded' to win this fight according to the betting odds in Las Vegas, I hope he really wins this one and make it really astounding. Still, this is not going to be a 'walk in the park' for Manny. Any boxer can win with the proverbial 'lucky' punch, no matter how skilled his opponent is. Erik Morales is going to be a 'Hall of Famer' someday but so is Manny.

Please check this video of Manny Pacquiao training in front of media people at the Wildcard gym.

Hannah is back

Hannah Parchment, a nine year old girl who lives in the Cayman Islands is visiting us for the weekend. Missy calls her Ate Hannah and enjoys having her around. I took the time to photograph her just in our backyard. I was not able to do a more deliberate photoshoot with her except for some snapshots with my two kids goofing around when she stayed with us for a month in 2004. That was the time the Cayman Islands was devastated by Hurricane Ivan if I'm not mistaken. She was easy to work with and can easily follow my directions. I hope Richard and Ellen will enjoy these photos just like I enjoyed photographing her. She never complained and I never heard her ask how many more shots I have to make. I was fast anyway and I only worked with a reflector. With David and Missy, that's a given. Well, that's one disadvantage of using your kids as models but they have tons of their own pictures and hopefully someday, they're going to appreciate that.

New Coconut Palms

Today, I planted 2 seedlings of coconut palms in our backyard, the Green Malayan Dwarf variety which I bought through Ebay. The fruit color can be either yellow, brown/red or green. Being used to the green coconut found in the Philippines, I opted for the green one. In zones 10 and 11 (South Florida), it can be planted in the ground. For other zones it can be used as a container palm and protected from cold weather. This type of coconut palm is known for its hardiness and resistance to disease. This grows from about 30 to 60 feet although the seller said this one grows to only 20 feet. I hope it survives and grow not too high. I never in my entire life have climbed a coconut tree and never intend to do it even now. This dwarf variety is just the right size for us. I love to eat the meat from a coconut and drink its juice, someday it would provide for us.

Filipino food that I miss

I know this is not a dedicated food blog but lately, I've been craving for certain Filipino food that I've not tasted for a long time. Since I started living here in the US eight years ago, I have learned to be a very good cook and when I crave for something, I just make it. Dishes like beef kaldereta, beef pochero with eggplant salad, pinakbet, laing, kilawin na tanigue, paella, bangus sardines, atsara and chicken pie among others. There are times I can figure out how a certain food is cooked just by tasting it and have replicated some dishes this way. When we were in San Francsico in April, we went to this Thai restaurant where they have this mussel soup that was very good and with the distinct taste of ginger, lime, lemongrass, red curry, cilantro and coconut milk, I tried it at home and was very successful with it.

Now there are a few I haven't tried making yet but now I'm planning to make if only I can find the right ingredients. Here's the list.

Pinangat (Filling of coconut meat, shrimps, small crabs wrapped in gabi leaves and simmered in coconut milk with hot pepper-my favorite) - the best I've ever tasted was cooked by a Bicolana wife of a staff of mine at my father's business. This is the only time where I've muttered, 'lasang langit' (tastes like heaven) and was never repeated after that. That was more than 8 years ago. It's just far more different from laing. I'd give anything to taste it again (a slight exaggeration!).






Okoy - I never shy away when I find it on someone's dinner table. I should really try making it. Now where can I find small shrimps with the head on.

Pinakbet with Bagnet (Vigan style) - My pinakbet is not bad but the Vigan style pinakbet is really good. I wonder what kind of 'bagoong' is used in it.

Bringhe (Paella Pampanguena)-I can cook a mean paella but when my Mom visits us from the Phils., I always request her to cook bringhe. It's just different especially that it's cooked with coconut milk. When we were younger, this dish is always present during reunions with families from my grandmother's side who were 'kapampangan'. I guess that 25% kapampangan blood in me gave me that 'uwido' or flair to cook and really appreciate excellent Filipino cooking. Time for me to try this too.

I also miss burong hipon (fermented rice with shrimp), pure taba ng talangka (fat/roe from small crab) and heko (shrimp paste).

If somebody can show me where can I find gabi leaves that are whole, not shredded which you can buy in a Filipino store, please show me. I'm even thinking of planting 'gabi' or taro just to make a 'pinangat'.

CRCC Family Fun Night

Last Monday, we went to our church Christ the Rock Community Church for it's yearly Family Fun Night, an alternative to the usual Halloween Festivities. There were all kinds of bounce houses, inflatable slides of all sizes including a gigantic one, several rock climbing walls, a free concert and free food and drinks. The kids were getting a lot of treats and then the unthinkable happened. Missy had an accident in the bouncehouse where there was some sort of obstacle course inside. She was following her Kuya David over something when David slipped and accidentally kicked her on the face. She got a big shiner near the left eye. There were some roving paramedics and she was given an ice pack. I was not able to make more pictures after that except for some few photos below. Missy won't even allow me to take a picture of her 'shiner'. Good that their Storybook parade was done that day in school.

Storybook parade at David and Missy's school

Yesterday, David and Missy participated in a Storybook parade which has become a tradition this time of the year in their school for the pre-K to 5th grade students at Somerset Academy. About a month ago, they were given an assignment to do a book report and today they went to school as a character in the book they have chosen. They were given kimonos that their Lola Lita made for them and we decided to let them wear that. My Mom made it really look authentic aside from the point that she bought the fabric in Japan when she was there last year. No need to buy new costumes.

I just bought them 'tabi' socks (split toe) to make it more authentic from an Ebay seller from Hong Kong. I was planning to get Missy an authentic 'geta' or japanese wooden clogs but I can't find one her size and besides they're too expensive. It would kind of defeat the purpose of saving money by not buying new costumes for them, besides they don't go trick or treating anyway.

The challenge was finding the appropriate books for them and after much research and some changes, we got 'Suki's Kimono' for Missy and 'Yoshi's Feast' for David which turned out to be really wonderful books for kids but grown-ups would really appreciate the stories too and the lessons they convey.

'Suki's Kimono' is about a girl who's about to attend her first day in school and she wanted to wear the blue kimono that her grandma gave her but her two older sisters were not too happy about it since it's not cool. Nevertheless, Suki wore her kimono with a matching red 'geta' and a paper parasol to school amidst the teasing and laughter and snide remarks about her attire but after the usual first day introductions where Suki told the story about her kimono, the festival she attended with her 'obachan' and the dance that she performed for her class, she won the class over and she became better than 'cool'. It is really a nice story and the book was laden with watercolor pictures of the events that transpired.

David's 'Yoshi's Feast' is about a fanmaker named Yoshi who loved to eat broiled eels but would never pay for it. He is what we call in Filipino 'makunat' and he has a neighbor named Sabu who is a cook and he makes broiled eels in his stall every day to sell to customers but his location was kind of nondescript and he was not really making money. Since Yoshi never buys the broiled eels while he wishes that his neighbor Sabu should just give him some for free, he would just smell broiled eels for breakfast, lunch and dinner and eat his boiled rice with it thinking that that is already a good meal. Sabu was not happy about it and decided to send Yoshi a bill for smelling his broiled eels for free. Yoshi decided to dance and shake his money box in front of Sabu and declared he has already paid Sabu when Sabu listened to the sound of his money box. Sabu decided to stop cooking broiled eels and instead cooked Sammu which is the stinkiest fish in the whole Japan. Yoshi was instead smelling Sammu for breakfast, lunch and dinner and he's not enjoying the smell while eating his boiled rice so he went to Sabu and pleaded with him to cook broiled eels again and he will do something to help him with his business. Sabu started cooking the broiled eels and Yoshi started performing in front of his stall, he would dance and shake his money box and soon people come over to watch him and buy broiled eels from Sabu which of course made Sabu very happy. Soon Sabu began sharing broiled eels with Yoshi for dinner every day and that became the start of their friendship. Yoshi even realized that smelling broiled eels is nowhere as good as eating the real thing. The story conveys the importance of give and take in business and in life. It also showed the reality of you get what you pay for.

The kids also enjoyed reading the books and that was the best thing after all. Here are some photos of David and Missy in their 'kimonos'.

Ms. Downey -David's teacher
Ms. Hicks - Missy's teacher