Coffee Comedy

           I have a DKNY tote bag that I love so much because it's a simple white tote and I could throw a lot of stuff in it.  The catch though, it could get very disorganized in there. So I found the most plausible solution for it before my OC-ness drove me nuts.  I placed a pouch inside so that my valuables like wallet, car key, cellphone and sunglasses won't play circus with my book, pen, lipstick, hairbrush, rosary, gum, smints, hand sanitizer, 2-wk old corn nuts, receipts, underwear (*joke*), dead PDA, lotto tickets and what-nots.  It's the kind of pouch that you can close by pulling the string and knotting it (do we really have to knot it by the way?)  Virtually, a bag within a bag.

So I went to Starbucks the other day to get my usual Grande Iced Cafe Mocha (decaf, non-fat).  I had my tote bag with me.  The routine went on as usual. I placed my order, I gave my name, the cashier rang it up...until it was time for me to pay.  I dug into my bag for my pouch.  When I finally got it, I couldn't see from outside the bag where the string was, so I knew I had no choice but to take it out.  I seriously debated against it because the guy behind the register was waiting for me, looking. And I didn't want to risk looking like the stereotype of an old lady miser who keeps her moolah in little money sacks (my pouch looked like one!)  So I just partially took it out, with half of the pouch still inside.

           Thank God I found the string.  It must have been the longest 8 seconds of my life.  Then, lo and behold! I couldn't loosen the knot!!!  I had a DKNY bag but I surely didn't seem like someone who could afford to pay my caffeine fix for the day.  So in my head I counted "One...Two...Three....PULL".  The knot wouldn't budge.  I tried it a few more times and realized I was really embarassing myself.  Being the candid person that I am,  I even muttered something like "Please bear with me, I'm having a hard time with thi...*voice fading out*. It would have been a breeze had the cashier been more successful at hiding his reaction.  Though he said "It's okay, Ma'am, take your time", his face was so flushed from trying hard not to laugh.  He also bursted out with a fake cough to mask that laugh (Hey, I've done that before!) and spun around twice, coughing.  Either I looked so FOB-ish (Fresh Off the Boat-ish), "jologs", or just plain comical.  But it was not just the longest 8 plus another 30 seconds of my life, it was also quite a hilariously embarassing one.

             Finally, the knot decided to save me from begging from strangers to pay for my drink.  At the back of my head, I was already rehearsing my script, "Hey Mister, excuse me, but can you pay for my drink first. I swear I have money inside this pouch...but I can't quite take it out...unless I cut it or something".  *Hmmm*...that sounded pretty devious to me...

           Well, I'm not sure if I was able to give you a clear graphic sense of what went on, but I definitely think it was so funny.  I was laughing at myself as soon as I claimed my cup til I sipped the last of the mocha.   

           Well, it was a good one.  By the way, the pouch is no longer there.

Kaya mo yan!

“The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do.”   -Walter Bagehot

Easter Resolutions

          I believe in making resolutions, in ceremonial "from now ons" made on special occasions and accompanied by rituals to symbolize the end of what you want to end, and the beginning of what you want to change.  I guess it's only human nature that we seek special days to finally do it.  No wonder those self-search-popsych-leadership seminar moguls make so much money...on poor lost souls! (I used to lead these things y'know, hehehe).  It does help, though.  That is, if you keep your flame burning and not let the high fizzle out. 

           But here's a cheap way to get your act together on some things.   Choose New Year's Eve to finally get rid of a habit.  Or Easter Sunday for that matter.  Or maybe your birthday. Or maybe your neighbor's birthday.  For me, I like weather-proofing my life on Easter Sunday because it symbolizes resurrection.  A rebirth.  So last weekend, I went on a quick soul-search for cracks , wear and tear of my soul (in between updating my Friendster, ofcourse).  Here are a few resolutions that I have made.  I am writing it down as a form of commitment to myself, and to others, with you as my witness.  (Geez, I wrote so much intro only to probably bore you to death with my stuff).  Please bear with me, and cheer for me, ok?

1)   Be more thoughtful and in-touch.  (I am a loving person, but I am very lousy at keeping in touch)  I will answer text messages, emails and snail mails right away.  Return phone calls and greet people on their birthdays, anniversaries, etc.  I realize the real essence of LOVE is lost if the giver does not connect to the receiver.

2)  Go back to my diet since I gained 7 lbs in Rome.

3)  Be more loving to my hubby.  I love him a lot, but he spoils me so much already that sometimes I don't hear him. Sometimes, I only hear me.  Bad girl.

4)  I will read the daily papers more often. 

5) I will wake up earlier than usual (like I used to) so I can get more projects done.  See the sun rise, hopefully, and enjoy a good breakfast instead of brunch. 

6) I will sleep earlier than usual, for health reasons, and NOT stay up until 3am in the morning.  (But then I would have to change the title of my blogsite?...)

WHAT'S YOURS?

Jimmy Choo & Stuart Weitzman

I wept because I had no shoes, until I saw a man who had no feet. -- Ancient Persian Saying

Advanced Happy Easter

My Ate Shelly forwarded this email to me. Thank you. I LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.

(check out that Royal Photo of Her Highness in the bus!) ----> 

HOW TO STAY YOUNG (and happy)

1. Try everything twice. On Madams tombstone (of Whelan's and Madam) she said she wanted this epitaph: Tried everything twice...loved it both times!

2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. (keep this in mind if you are one of those grouches;)

3. Keep learning:      Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain get idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop! ." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's!

4. Enjoy the simple things.

5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. And if you have a friend who makes you laugh, spend lots and lots of time with HIM/HER.

6. The tears happen: Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves.  LIVE while you are alive.

7. Surround yourself with what you love: Whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home should be your refuge.

8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it.  If it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, even to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity.

11. Forgive now those who made you cry. You might not get a second time.

And if you don't send this to at least 4 people - who cares? But do share this with someone.

(Have a Blessed Holy Week, and advanced HAPPY EASTER, everyone!  For Christ's sake (I meant literally, hehehe)...read the Bible, not the Blog :o)

Rome Hangover Part II

My SUPPLI according to Google...

Italian Stuffed Rice Balls (Suppli alla Telefono)

Suppli alla Telefono is Italian rice balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese and topped with pomodora sauce. I thought I died and went to heaven when I took my first bite of these scrumptous appetizers.

SUPPLI RICE BALLS
4	cloves garlic, diced
4	tablespoons olive oil
1/2	onion, chopped
8	ounces arborio rice or risotto rice, cooked (italian)
3	tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2	ounces butter, melted
3	ounces parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1	buffalo mozzarella
2	ounces sun-dried tomatoes
2	ounces flour
2	eggs, beaten
4	ounces fresh white breadcrumbs
	vegetable oil (for frying)
	salt & freshly ground black pepper
POMODORA SAUCE
1	cup chopped red onions
2	lbs fresh tomatoes, cut in half,seeded,and diced
2	tablespoons fresh garlic
4	ounces red wine
4-6	tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
4	tablespoons fresh chives, snipped
4	tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1	teaspoon salt
	pepper
1/2-1	teaspoon crushed red chili peppers
1/2-1	teaspoon crushed red chili peppers

4-8 servings / 2 hours 30 minutes / 2 hrs prep

~~~RICEBALLS~~~

1. Heat the olive oil in a pan with the garlic and onion.



2. Cook until soft and add the basil.



3. Add the cooked rice, season and blend it all together well.



4. Pour the rice into a bowl, place in the fridge to chill.



5. When cold, fold in the Parmesan and butter.



6. Divide the rice into small balls of equal size pieces.



7. Cut the mozzarella and sun dried tomatoes into half inch size pieces.



8. Push a piece of mozzarella and tomatoes into the center of each rice ball.



9. Reform the rice, pulling back over the cheese and tomato, ensuring it is completely enclosed.



10. Coat the rice balls in seasoned flour (salt and pepper) then beaten egg, then into the breadcrumbs.



11. Deep fry the balls in hot vegetable oil for 3-5 minutes until golden and crisp.



12. Drain on kitchen paper.



13. ~~~POMODORASAUCE~~~.



14. Spray a large nonstick skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium heat until hot.



15. Add red onion and garlic and saute until onion is soft.



16. Add red wine and reduce heat slightly.



17. Add tomatoes, basil, chives and parsley and remove from heat.



18. You want the ingredients just heated, not actually cooked.



19. Season with salt, pepper, and sugar.



20. Place Suppli (Rice Balls) on a platter and pour the sauce on and around the Rice Balls.

Are you hungry yet?

Memorie Preziose della mia Avventura Italiana

Italy gave me so much more than just a handful of memories and thoughts to bring back home...the beautiful old ruins of Rome (a wonderful present from the past...if only they can speak and tell us things we can only speculate about), the cobblestoned streets (a feast for the eyes, but a torture to the feet --- my high-heeled-booted feet!), the terribly small SMART cars (I didn't want to risk riding in one) vis-a-vis the wreckless yet incredibly skillful Italian drivers, the beautiful cathedrals, the awesome Italian countryside...the flock of sheep, the rows of olive trees...the list goes on...

But my heart has handpicked a bunch of precious memories that will be etched in my heart forever. To name a few...

.....the teary eyes of my smiling wheelchair-bound aunt, Tita Rosie, upon coming out of the Fumicino airport, seeing Rome for the first time.  Tita Rose, you made it!

.....witnessing my "Tito Father" (my mom's brother, who I grew up calling "Daddit") being made "His Eminence Gaudencio Cardinal Rosales" by no less than the Pope Benedict XVI himself at the Vatican

.....seeing "Tito Father" upclose, walking about in his full black and red Cardinal regalia for the first time at the dinner hosted by the Philippine Embassy in Rome. What a sight to behold...

.....spending quality time with my hubby, dressing up like we own the world, taking 60 million pictures together and apart, and kissing after every winning shot

.....waving the Filipino flag amongst the international delegates in the crowd

.....shivering in the cold at St. Peter's Square on the first day, and melting under the hot sun on the next

.....listening to that well-known, rich and fashionable animalprint and fur-clad lady sitting with us say three times to me "I love the way you colored your hair, how did you do it?"

.....seeing the Church of Sta. Maria Maggiore bursting to its seams with Filipinos working and living in Italy and singing our "Lupang Hinirang" with them.  That made me cry.

.....holding Therese while she was sleeping throughout the whole mass at Sta. Maria Maggiore

.....seeing Pope Benedict XVI from special seats for three days in my life and seeing my parents overjoyed from their being able to hold and kiss his hand

.....seeing the tombs of my favorite Saints: St. Francis of Assisi and St. Clare (my patron saint whom my parents got my name from); and saying hello and praying to the tombs of St. Peter, the first Pope and ofcourse, the late Pope John Paul II

.....seeing Michelangelo's Pieta...being able to get inside the Sistine Chapel...seeing the ruins of Pompeii (which I only used to talk about with my sister when we were kids)

  .....finally seeing the spots that I enjoyed seeing in my mind in Mr. Dan Brown's book: the roman fountains,  the staircase lit by tiny lamps from the altar of the Basilica of St. Peter leading to his tomb, the obelisks, Castel Sant'Angelo, etc.

....."wine being cheaper than soda and as common as water" ---Alcoholic Alter Ego!

.....my favorite fizzy/carbonated water being a staple in restaurants and stores, not just another dispensable option (I've been in love with Perrier eversince I was young)

.....LIMONCELLO, MY LIMONCELLO! 

.....the wonderful tiny shots of Espresso or Capuccino and finally enjoying them from decent breakable china instead of paper disposable cups. Hella real. (I'm sorry, Starbucks)

.....The regular tests of bravery and reflex whenever we cross the street from the Eurostars Hotel to Carrifour Supermarket and Mall (I always feared for my life whenever I crossed that road! I even tried coming up with lame excuses to avoid it)

.....walking down Via Condotti and going inside the original GUCCI store (Aldred pretended to be busy window-shopping on his own lest I catch his eye anytime to say...Mahal, can I buy this? *joke*)

.....my funny attempts to speak with the very little (and choppy) Italian words I  know and somehow still getting my messages across.  I'm proud of that.

.....the night Aldred got sick, mumbling like a helpless little baby and wanting me to hug him from the back and just spoon like that all night long

.....Mommy and Daddy taking goofy and happy pictures on the cruise to Capri

.....Lissa and Roy being trigger-happy with their cameras and competing against each other for the perfect shot...Roy as "Team Leader" of the kiddie group

.....my countryside adventure with my hubby and cousins to Citta di Sutri and Tuscania, walking around their piazza while having shots of my new love, Cointreau (French???), from yes, disposable plastic cups.

.....my first ocean sunset in Italy, watching every second of it while cruising back to Naples from Capri

.....the nightly parties at Roy and RJ's room, eating instant noodles, fruits dipped in nutella, crackers, Italian twinkies, beef jerky, Granola bars, Tim Tam and red wine (what a crazy food trip!) while downloading pics and bashing the travel agency hehehe

.....Marcus and Joaquin singing in the bus.

.....Ninong Nitoy's boys sleeping in the bus.

.....Ate Shelly sitting like a queen in the bus to Tuscania. I'm happy she's happy.

.....Kuya Joe and I, talking about his childhood days with Lolo and Lola during the two-hour bus ride back to the hotel while everyone else was sleeping.

.....Mitch making new international friends at the hotel. Her smile and undying energy. Her serving as a tour guide even if it's also her first time there.  Grazie!!!

.....watching my hubby in Tuscania, drinking in the scenery and all.  (It's a dream come true for him and me, we have always wanted to visit the Italian countryside way before this family trip to Italy hatched)

.....visiting a photographer's gallery in Sutri and buying one of his works autographed with "a Clarissa e Aldred.....and something else in Italian we can only hope means something good"

.....Trina falling, hurting her knees while still being able to save the salad take out in her hands. RJ couldn't help her because of the breakable souvenirs he was holding.  FUNNY ;P

.....Joei waking up too early for one of the events (it was only 2am!)

.....The electric train that almost split our bus in half...Trina's blood-curdling scream hehehe

.....having my portrait done at Piazza Navona (even if it didn't bear a single resemblance to me)

.....eating Crepe di Marnier, tartuffo and gelatto in galactic proportions

.....tossing the coins at Fontana di Trevi

.....my Italy-wide search for my winner SUPPLI (Deep-fried, crumb-coated Rice Croquettes with tomato sauce and mozarella)

.....Kuya Billy and his words of wisdom...his affection for everyone in the family and admirable efforts to make up for lost time...

.....Tito Gabby and his family...my crying cousins Crissy, Steph and Cindy

MOST OF ALL.....being able to spend time with my family and Rosales relatives who flew in from different parts of the world (some I've never even seen or heard of before), in an exclusive gathering on the night of March 23, 2006. This thing called "LUKSO NG DUGO" in Filipino? I felt it that one night at the Pontificio Collegio Filippino...Kindred spirits. It made my heart sing. It was so strong I wanted to keep hugging everyone and just never ever let go.  GRAZIE PER TUTTO, DIO!