Wednesday, August 27, 2014
My siblings and I awoke at first light and hurried out
into the crisp morning air, athirst for a day of adventure, an interruption in
the routines of everyday life. We set out on the road in pursuit of that
obscure waterfall, but on arrival we were greeted by a complete tangle
of undergrowth fronted by an imposing NO TRESPASSING sign, and not the curtain of
cascading waters that we anticipated . Undaunted, we then made our way to look
for a resort close by, but we ended up on a lovely beach in another province.
Wednesday, August 13, 2014
This writing that you do, that so
thrills you, that so rocks and exhilarates you, as if you were dancing next to
the band, is barely audible to anyone else. The reader’s ear must adjust down from
loud life to the subtle, imaginary sounds of the written word. An ordinary
reader picking up a book can’t yet hear a thing; it will take half an hour to
pick up the writing’s modulations, its ups and downs and louds and softs.
~
Annie Dillard, The Writing Life, 1989
Tuesday, August 12, 2014
What used to be
a 30-minute commute from the office to my house--roughly 6.7 km--has now become
two hours. With light to moderate traffic, that distance is merely a 13-minute
drive. The road repairs that have started in April of this year continue to
exacerbate traffic congestion in the city. Commuters like me are left with two
choices: sight tight and wait for the jeep to move along inch by painful inch,
or go down and walk. Every day I’m
tempted to go for the latter.
6.7 km in two
hours is equivalent to around 2 miles per hour (mph). And 2 mph is like walking
at a slow pace. It means that if I start walking leisurely from work, I would
arrive home at the same time as when I ride a jeep. By walking at that speed
for two hours, I would also burn 200 calories. That sounds so much better than observing
my zombielike fellow passengers whose faces mirror the lifeless resignation
that must be on my face.
Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Ever since I
started reducing my intake of meat products, I’m always looking for recipes
that feature alternative sources of protein. I was lucky to have come across a Moroccan salad recipe, which I modified a bit. The
original recipe included mint and dried pluots, plums or dates. But those
ingredients were not available in the grocery store so I used cilantro instead
of mint and raisins instead of dried pluots or dates. I also substituted
calamansi for lemons, which at that time were sold at an exorbitant price.
The recipe may
have been altered, but the salad tastes delicious nonetheless.
Here’s my
recipe:
Moroccan
Chickpea Salad
Dressing
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh calamansi juice
1 tablespoon honey
1/3 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon dried pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 big carrot, sliced whisper thin
2 cups cooked chickpeas
1 cup raisins
½ cup fresh cilantro, torn
Whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing. Combine
the chickpeas, carrots, cilantro, and raisins in another bowl. Add the dressing
then toss gently to blend all ingredients thoroughly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover
and refrigerate until ready to serve.
