waterbabies

There is a 25m public outdoor pool in the park that opens every summer and it's just a couple of minutes walk from our place. Early morning is the best time to go, while the lil' ones are just about stirring in their futon.

We went a bit late last Saturday and the sun was already high and so were the screams of delight from the lil' early birds. The water in the pool is just over half a meter at it's lowest and 1 meter at it's deepest, so it's still ok to swim laps - as for me... increments of half a lap. Bloody shame ain't it?. Gimme a few more weeks and I'll get the stamina back.

It's fun to watch (obviously what I do more in the pool than swim) kids and their dads mostly, bonding in the pool. There's the father who swims freestyle with his arms only since his daughter is snugly afloat, towed and tethered to her mighty dad's feet and they both cross the full length of the pool and back again. A young mom coaxing her lil' boy who I think is just about 4 to 5 years old, to take a huge jump into the pool into her mom's waiting arms. He does it with a yelp and a smile as he lands safely and realizes the depth of the pool and says "kowai" (scary) but mom sets him up again for another jump.

I watch and then swim some more and before I knew it, I'm toasted. Dang, I got my swim cap on and you know what that means! The new Marukome buzzcut surely does not help at all!

bakasyon

Simula na ng mahabang bakasyon ko. Mga 1 1/5 months rin ito. I feel boredom setting in, it must be like setting off to sea, on a long journey. After anchors are aweigh, the ship gracefully leaves port and sails off, one feels much anticipation but as the days drag on, boredom sets in... are we there yet?

What to do before cabin fever sets in?! To the galley we go!

This maski-paps (maski pa-paano) Eringi salad has been a hit. It's really easy to make, all you need is some Eringi mushrooms, scallions, roasted pine nuts, anchovies, capers, roasted red bell pepper, crushed fresh black pepper, chopped fresh parsley, dry vermouth or wine, and balsamic vinegar.




Just saute the scallions in olive oil, toss in the mushrooms, roasted pine nuts, anchovies, capers, add dry wine, simmer a bit, add some balsamic vinegar, and pepper to taste. Finally toss in the roasted red bell pepper and parsley! Better served cold, but C likes it warm too.



I've been enjoying Vermouth on the rocks lately, perfect for summer and it goes well with this maski-paps salad of mine.

Yung ulam namin, I searched the net for a mustard sauce that I can use with fish and there were lots of Indian recipes, and though I looves cooking Indian food, I was not in the mood to do one in this bloody heat. Amoy curry na nga ako sa init na ito o!

I found a Frenchy one and I modified it a bit, the cream to milk, dijon to ancienne mustard, catfish to yellowtail. So far it looks good - the taste, it was ok to me, pero si C "ma-ma" daw... as in "so-so" as in ayaw nya dahil sa cream sauce. Wagi pa rin ang aming walang kamatayang Pla Neung Manao namin talaga!

the name is the game

Here's a comic I made for Jeepney Press about names. There are Japanese names that sound Tagalog, and you'd be surprised to find out that some would actually be so cool!


Likewise, Japanese names also sound very Pinoy... a sad case for Tae or Taeko-san. In case you are laughing about this poor girl's plight in case she decides to set foot in Pinas, well you'd better think about introducing yourself in Japanese if your name happens to be "CHIN-CHIN". That in Nihonggo translates as a little tyke's BUTOTOY!

I keep coming!

The temp outside reads 36C, bintilador lang kami but the thought of turning on the air conditioner hangs heavy, like a huge thought balloon overhead. This suddenly vanishes because my most awaited brunch has come, today is "ikura-don"! That's fresh Hokkaido ikura (salmon roe) rice topping! Food orgasm in waves...mmmmmmm...mmmmmm....

food orgasm

C just came back from the People's Summit in Hokkaido (saan pa no?!) and brought home loads of goodies that sent my foodie sense into overdrive. The fresh strawberries were a bit sour for me, so I gorged on fresh "Napoleon" sakurambo (cherries) until I had to restrain myself from eating the whole bunch, imagining my mom telling me, "o baka di ka matunawan nyan, bukas naman..."


(i just put some in a plate to photograph)

My dear cousin loves Japanese chocolate and I know that one of her faves is Royce chocolate. I would love to bring her lots of this yummy choco from Hokkaido but I just couldn't, since they're too fragile and sensitive to heat.

Cherries and dark "nama" chocolate...mmmmm.

The following day, I knew that dinner would be a grand one.

We had fresh shiso leaves cut into thin strips...



Fresh "Bafu Uni" --- that's horse shit uni - since the sea urchin looks like one spiny horseshit.




Top it with the shiso and garnish with nori strips... ITTADAKIMASU!



The sake was Okunomatsu Ginjo, from Fukushima prefecture. Kampai!



And we still haven't eaten the "ikura" yet!

"A little knowledge is a dangerous thing."

May nabasa akong sci-fi novel series noon, yung "Hyperion" ni Dan Simmons and it was about how humanity has spread across the universe through "Hawking Drive" spaceships and that the Earth was destroyed by the "Big Mistake" - a scientific accident wherein a black hole swallows the Earth!

In August, CERN will switch on this humongous thing which, in my opinion, is "humbly" called a "Large Hadron Collider". I could only understand a nanobit of what this thing can do so I mix this knowledge with fiction and voila, I can imagine these scientists rejoicing at their discoveries that would shake the very foundations of Physics and then they would confidently move on to create a black hole and then ... OOPS!

Ika ng ni Alexander Pope,

"A little learning is a dangerous thing; drink deep, or taste not the Pierian spring: there shallow draughts intoxicate the brain, and drinking largely sobers us again."

So will the revolution be televised, downloaded, or will it be sucked in by a powerful vortex that even light could not escape from? Read more about it, here.

"receiving transmission..."

Flight of the Conchords - Bowie's In Space

Bowie's in space
Bowie's in space
What you doing out there, man?
That's pretty freaky, Bowie
Isn't it cold out in space, Bowie?
Do you want to borrow my jumper, Bowie?
Does the space cold make your nipples go pointy, Bowie?
Do you use your pointy nipples as telescopic antennae to transmit data back to
Earth?
Bet you do, you freaky old bastard you
Hey Bowie, do you have one really funky sequined space suit?
Or do you have several ch-changes?
Do you smoke grass out in space, Bowie?
Or do they smoke Astroturf?
Ooh!
Receiving transmission from David Bowie's nipple antennae
Do you read me, Lieutenant Bowie?
This is Bowie to Bowie
Do you hear me out there, man?
This is Bowie back to Bowie
I read you loud and clear, man
Ooh yeah, man!
Your signal's weak on my radar screen
How far out are you, man?
I'm pretty far out
That's pretty far out, man
Ooh- ah- ooh!
I'm orbiting Pluto
Ooh- ah- ooh!
Drawn in by its groovitational
(Groovitational pull)
I'm jamming out with the Mick Jagger-nauts
Ooh, and they think it's pretty cool
Are you okay, Bowie?
What was that sound?
I don't know, man
Ooh, it's the craziest scene
Yeah, I'm picking it up on my LSD screen
Can you see the stratosphere ringing?
To the choir of Afronauts singing
Bowie's in space
Bowie's in space
Bowie Bowie Bowie Bowie Bowie Bowie
Bowie's in space
Bowie Bowie Bowie Bowie Bowie Bowie
Eena-ma-ma-meena-mina-mowie
Phasers on funky
Eena-ma-ma-meena-mina-mowie
Ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba-Bowie's in Space

Lyrics credit: whatthefolk.net