Thursday, August 29, 2002
My dad decided to invite some of his golf buddies and their wives over for a special "Fresh Lumpia" dinner. I was in charge of dessert, and my mom was in charge of the lumpias. My dad usually doesn't compliment my mom that much, but he's always ready to give praise when it comes to my mom's lumpias. So my mom's very protective of the lumpias, she usually doesn't let other people do the cooking. Today though, her older sister took charge. I've never seen my mom act so much like a little child. She was seething when she saw the pale-looking mixture her sister made. She stormed into my room, almost in tears, telling me how her sister's version didn't taste good at all. She tried to regain control of the kitchen, but of course, older sisters rule...
As I thought about the situation a little more, I think my mom became upset because she didn't want to disappoint dad. I just realized how much she wanted him to be proud of her. In a lot of ways, that's how I am too.
This day was quite a disaster. I didn't have much luck with my desserts either. I was going to make some cream puffs and eclairs, but my choux pastry didn't puff up. My mango almond tart had too much alcohol in it -- I had to improvise and make another tart -- a simple mango cream tart... I wanted to hide when my dad introduced me as an aspiring chef who's gone to Le Cordon Bleu blah blah...
Well, it's over. It's just one of those bad days... at least we survived, maybe with half of our pride, but we'll be ok. :)
Posted by Karen @ 06:55 AM PST [Link]
Wednesday, August 28, 2002
I am somewhat discouraged -- things are not going as planned. I expected to work with my brother, helping him plan the expansion of his restaurants. Monday, I tagged along to the commissary, where they prepared sauces, dimsum, roast pigs and ducks. It wasn't as clean as I expected it to be. There were five chinese chefs, commanding more than a dozen prep boys in a huge factory-like kitchen. Stinky, wet, hot, and humid, it wasn't a place I wanted to work in. I spent that day shadowing my brother. His day consists of moving from office to office, reading sales reports and signing checks. I'm not sure what value I can add to his company. Did I give up too soon? I don't know. I'm still thinking about what I should do. Another problem... there's no pressure for me to do anything here. Everything is provided for me. I need money? Mom hands me some. Food? Not a problem either. I really should try to make the most of my stay here, but I feel quite lost right now.
Posted by Karen @ 03:50 AM PST [Link]
Saturday, August 24, 2002
Yesterday I visited my 2 year old niece Yanna, who was down with the flu. My mom was tickling her and Yanna got fed up and told her: "Alis ka na," which means "Go away." She's a very naughty one -- didn't even want to say sorry to my mom.
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I took a picture of Yanna using a new Nokia 7650 that I borrowed from my sis-in-law.
Posted by Karen @ 06:46 PM PST [Link]
Thursday, August 22, 2002
Spent the whole afternoon with my best friend Shang and her baby, Gavin David. He's really cute. He has his mother's nose, and his dad's eyes. It feels weird that my best friend is so much a mother now. Seems like she doesn't have much time for herself, but she's enjoying it immensely. I tried to carry Gavin the other day, but after a few seconds, I handed him back because I was afraid he'd slip and fall to the ground.
Last night I also went out with my barkada. We ate at this new high-end mall called The Podium. Whenever I'm with them, I feel like we're playing out an episode from Sex And the City. We talk about relationships and heartaches... it's quite fun. I wish we could've stayed there all night talking, but I'm a little paranoid these days because there are a lot of kidnappings and robberies going on in Manila. My parents have advised me not to wander about too far... I can't even walk alone in the mall without feeling scared.
My friends and family have been waiting for me to start cooking. It always takes a few days, even weeks, for me to get used to the kitchen here... we'll see.
Posted by Karen @ 03:50 AM PST [Link]
Sunday, August 18, 2002
The weather is gloomy, seems like it's going to rain anytime now. Humid and warm, just the way I like it. It places one in a pensive mood -- or maybe more of a nostalgic one. It's been a while since I've been home this time of year. I'm still getting used to my room, it's quite dusty... my toilet is broken, I have to fill up a bucket of water whenever I want to flush. My mom installed this jacuzzi shower in my bathroom years ago, but the water pressure has never been strong enough for me to really use its massaging features. The water takes too long to heat up, so I just settle for cold showers. They say it aids blood circulation...
I went to Mass with my parents today. The church was packed! In San Francisco, I noticed that fewer and fewer people go to church each week, probably because of the recent scandals. I guess it didn't matter to people here. I'm hoping to renew my faith while I'm here. It's easier when you're around people who believe in the same things you do.
Posted by Karen @ 02:58 AM PST [Link]
Thursday, August 15, 2002
Ok, I'm still here. It's my last day though. I'm leaving tonight. :( I'm not sure what I feel. I am somewhat comforted by the fact that this is my choice... the first step toward my new career.
My mom is in Stanford Mall, for the third day in a row. We're bringing home 7 big balikbayan boxes filled with toys, clothes, ziploc, toothpaste, toilet paper, etc.... you'd think we don't have those basic things in the Philippines but we do. Heh.
I got bumped up to First class! To show our appreciation to the station manager of Philippine airlines, I'm making a cherry tart for him. That's the secret to getting instant upgrades. (just kidding, but it really helps) Since I wanted to use up all our fruits, I also made a fig tart and a peach tart. The cherry tart has an almond filling and fresh cherries. Here's a picture I took this afternoon...
Summer Fruit Tarts - cherry, peach, and fig tarts
