Bagoong rice

I went to the newly opened Barrio Fiesta in Bur Juman for lunch today. Going through the menu, bagoong rice caught my attention. Well, I'm used to having chopsuey rice and chili fish rice and chicken fried rice here in Dubai but bagoong rice . . . something new . . . gotta try.

It's rice flavored with bagoong topped with fried egg and shredded green mango and bagoong. (Bagmansilog?) Masarap. The serving was supposed to be for two but I finished it, together with chicken adobo flakes and kalamansi juice. Masarap talaga.

Sushi as Springboard

Last Tuesday night we bid farewell to one of the leader of the Tuesday knight group. He will be returning to the Philippines after a year of stint here in Dubai as an architect of a Saudi based developer with an office here in Dubai. Although he is not a part of those retrenched by other company due to recession but he resigned because of his firm inactivity here in Dubai.

The meeting was started with a game of chess between me and one of the leaders. The place was called Trinity Café inside Spinneys building behind Burjuman Mall, this place was a familiar hangout of the group. I joined this group about a year ago before we transfer to Burjuman and we returned here for this not so normal event.




Architect Elvin is a direct influence in our group, as one of the leader he is one of the pillar which make the group sustain its existence, he have shared us so many life changing topics which encourages us to go on and pursue our life here in Dubai, helping us stand strong spiritually. But he have more priority with his family in the Philippines, perhaps not only his job contribute to his feelings being off track professionally maybe he is yearning for more completeness if he will be at home.


Then comes the sushi time for this event, since I am not so familiar with the food listed in the menu, I was advice by the waiter to try light foods then I choose sushi. Peter who once part of the leadership of this group was invited by Eugene, currently one standing as our kuya. He shares us some words for us to be encouraged so we will have no heavy feeling when one of our brothers will leave the country for good.



Of course for our friend’s information of this meeting, snapshots were taken by some in the groups, check Danny’s account in facebook, some are in this blog. So we send out Elvin with a Sushi as springboard. While I beat Eugene in chess game 3-2, a thought run to my mind, we will meet again Elvin again someday in a different venue and different status. And by that time, Eugene will beat me in a different game, maybe dama, when we will be a bit older, hehe.

Eid tea

So that’s how you get inside the Burj al Arab. Make a reservation for an afternoon tea at Junsui.



I went there Sunday with Rey, Poh and Santad. So it’s true – the lobby glitters with gold. And the atrium, said to be the highest in the world, looks like a futuristic spacecraft. The place is magnificent ... and awe-inspiring ... and ... aah ... saksakan ng ganda.

The Junsui Asian afternoon tea consisted of 7 courses, I think. There was, well, tea and then some dimsum and then congee and spiced chicken … There was also something like a haluhalo.



Great Eid afternoon.

goodbye my dubai

the dubai bubble for me has bursted,

and everything has changed since then.

terminated and has been casted away

to the abu dhabi airport i am to flee.

my life here had been sort of,

just been utterly fantastic.

it was filled with many good things, but few were not.

people and things, filled me with awe and wonder.

i had not wished it be, nor had i forseen it,

that these experiences would happened to me.

everything here was moving too fast.

the blurr was breathtaking indeed!

the novelty of new places can't be denied.

and the glow on common things are exciting.

dubai for me was new and promising.

i was right, and disappointment was far from me.

wether i was jogging in a cold winter morning,

in the streets of karama, or in the parks of jumeirah,

my heart was pumping full red delight.

the blue frigid air seems to agree with me.

people is peculiar in a stange new place.

they seem to be friendlier and kinder to you.

in charismatic groups or colleagues, it does not matter.

love virus is in the air, and everyone is catching it.

food, fruits and drinks here are flowing and aplenty.

exotic and gourmet, everything is of gluttonic delight.

Lobster, pink salmon, prawns and assorted biryani,

what else can you say but, what to do yani?

the sun and the sands of the desert, hot and dry,

whips in me the fictional universe of frank herbert's dune.

arabs are my fremen, ang-moh are the imperial sardaukkar.

paul muad'dib said, from the desert, a voice shall call for my salvation.

the building marvels of the age was in dubai.

architectural concepts that would elicit a laugh or a breath,

that are coming to life on the sands and even at sea.

imagination here is boundless and flying.

then, suddenly, the world had lost something.

the international market crashed, fell in ashes, burnt and spent.

nothing was spared, nothing remained untouched.

the dubai that was, had had came to pass.

boarding the plane, i glanced around me for one last time,

and looked at the country that has accomodated me for three years.

i muttered one last prayer in this foreign land, my God,

please let me return here in the near future. If You are willing.

now i bid to all of you my forlorn adieu.

goodbye to my love and my honeybabe.

goodbye to my goodfriends and aquaintances.

for i shall not see you again........ in dubai. he3!

Kumusta na?

Ang Kumusta Na (Makulit Ba?) ay isang kanta ng pag-ibig na sinulat ko. Medyo nag-eksperimento ako rito. Kanta ng pag-ibig pero walang salitang "iniibig" o "minamamahal". Walang "sinta" o "hirang" o "habibti".

Pagbibiro at pangungulit - ganon yung kanta.

Kumusta na? Wala pa ba?
Ako naman ay pwedeng maghintay pa.
Kaya nga lang, eh bakit pa
kung ngayon ikaw ay sigurado na?

Kung ‘di naman, saka na lang.
Ayaw ko ring ika’y minamadali.
Pero, teka, ngayon na lang
kung tayo’y doon din mauuwi.

Pwera na lang sa bandang gitna na medyo seryoso. Merong parang saglit ng zen (zen moment) . . .

Sandali'y hayaang maging sa ating dalawa.
Sa katahimikan ay may himlayang kay ganda.
Pakinggan mo ang puso ko.
Pakinggan mo ang sa 'yo.

Nangyayari iyan, di ba? Kasama mo yung chick. Biruan kayo nang biruan. Lokohan nang lokohan. Tapos biglang magiging seryoso. Tatahimik. Kasi, parang hindi na dapat magsalita. Siya rin, parang hindi na kailangang sumagot. Pakiramdaman na lang. Paparoon na, bok . . . Pero, dito sa kanta, balik na naman sa pangungulit.

Kumusta na? Wala pa ba?





Ako naman ay pwedeng maghintay pa . . .

how to finish a burger meal.

at these times of global financial crisis, it's a sin to make waste. precious food, whose market prices rise exponentially everyday, must not be taken for granted. this is similar to what your grandma used to say to you when you were young (ages ago, he3!!!).

focus panda, focus. ok, here i am, looking at my half-eaten burger. i suddenly became full. maybe because a few seconds before, i had gobbled-up french fries and dipped these decadently in mayo-ketsap mix. the said fries are good. it is with a distinct but delicious taste comparable to the fries of the golden arches, which by the way, i still rate as The Best.

anyway, going back to the burger, which now looked to me like anything but delectable, in between my hands, and held it there, waiting, or thinking what to do next. i had definitely lost my appetite.

should i throw it into the bin? come to think of it, it would be an awful waste. marami kayang nagugutom sa payatas... (there are many people starving in far away payatas, metro manila). ang sagot, bakit? kasalanan ko ba na nagugutom sila? (the answer, is it my fault that they are hungry?). hmm.. there is a point there, somewhere.

after my food-poisoning incident last november, i seldom eat-out anymore. furthermore, i seldom eat at all, moreso if it is a cuisine from the sub-continent (the culprit last year). never you mind, i'd rather starve. i dunno, alien food to me suddenly became sinistrous. close to paranoia perhaps. there could be an "e. coli" or salmonella hidden, swimming in that yummy-looking pungent orange sauce. goodluck! (emphasis at the K).

shaking my head to clear the mind. whew! enough! i have to finish this. i could hear my grandma again, yes ma, i will finish this (grumbling). this is bad, i am hallucinatingkh. i gave a sigh, the show must go on. then, i'm on. one bite after another, it's beginning to be difficult. it's an effort to swallow it down. now and then, it seems the burger is struggling to go out my mouth. but i went on. look, i am making progress.

you know, the hardest part is that last bite. i stared at it for a while. good grief, the last morsel. i am almost ready to blow. the water at the dam is in critical level, it is at the brim. where is the nearest toilet by the way?..... pause, aim, shoot it netless into the ring!

then, after all that has been said and done, nothing is left of the burger, it's done.

sit back straight, tip the head from side-to-side,

take a sip of cola, just to push it down,

and give a resounding belch if you can.

then raise your arms in a V. saying, aah! victory at last!

mission accomplished. what a nice way to finish a burger meal.

khallas!

you don't mess with what?

I had a brief interest with a movie I heard from a levantese friend ages ago during one of our rather routine site inspections. He was rather irritated with it then, or aggitated with something about it. This is not new to me, him being aggitated or similar to that on some obscure issues. Somehow it seems natural for him to be that way. Well, anyway, this movie that he was referring to is a comedy. just a comedy. As he harangued about it, I just politely ignored it all together and simply went into my own business of inspecting some items in the then, being-constructed mall. Eventually, I lost interest in the movie even before I started having to.

Number of months came to pass, and I totally forgot anything about the discussion with my friend and his favorite movie as narrated above, until today.

Actually, I had watched that movie last night. I was actually laughing at the movie. no surprise there since it is supposed to elicit that response, a comedy, right? Thinking, fortunately, my countrymen is not a target of the mockery in this ridiculous movie. Goot. AH! I have now realized, that maybe, that is why my friend was not at all happy about this movie. His sensibilities are offended especially because the bad guys in this movie is them (Again).

A US magazine described it as an obscene, ridiculous and occassionally funny movie that may cause panic in the Middle East and derail the peace process. Too much girgir for me!

What i think is, to put it lightly, is that it was a combination of cultural mockery, politically incorrectness, racist redneck bigotry and whore piggery all-in-one!!! This sick comedy will somehow make you laugh.

Hummous is a common middle eastern food garnish, which literally means chickpeas, grounded to paste and comes with spices. Normally, olive oil is added on-top for presentation. They normally eat it with most dishes. However, in this movie, mockery in mind, it is used everywhere and in everything, barbequeing, hair moisturizer, toothbrushing, you name it.

If ever they decide to mock my native bagoong, i will brush it all-over them for good measure. Let them enjoy the stink of their own hubris. he3!!!

Yani, it is about a conflict in the Middle East about land, people-vs-people, and the right to live in these ancient lands. Wa baden, the protagonists were brought to the shores of milk and honey to enable them to escape the troubles at home and to start a fresh and new life in the new world.

However, these peoples, thought that they have left the troubles of their homeland, are now confronted with each other again, face to face, to death, and with the addition of their new oppressors in, in the supposed to be, land of the free, Amrika.

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. This is not a political commentary, it seems that it does not take sides in the conflict. One must not take this garbage seriously. It is anyway, above all, a slapstick comedy, and a wishful love story, and then, a ridiculous action movie. The protagonist fell in-love with the antagonist's sister. Try to figure-out what will come out of it. he3!!! It is not unlike a telenovela back home. The ending of the movie was a reconciliation of both sides.

I somehow pity my friend in being subject to that stress. His people being picked upon by comedians in Hollywood and would surely get to his nerves someday. And there it was, I remember now, my aggitated friend, fuming finally got to his nerves. Whom i totally did not understand before, if i may add, and ignored, and relegated into the backburner of my memory. A sorry and apathetic response from an indio, whom should not be numb and could relate to indignation and suffering. Que horror!

But now I simpathize with him because of the tragedy that they are now suffering under the bombardment of the Israelis. I mourn the inocent harmed and lost.

However, retaliation will not end it, but will just prolong it.

Would it be asking too much if we could see the ending in this conflict be similar to that in the movie?

Khallas!

first article

wow... first article... ano ba ang pwede kong isulat dito? ang sabi sa akin nung tumulak sa akin na magsulat dito eh pwede yung mga experiences ko dito sa dubai... ilang araw na din yun mula ng sabihan nya ako n kailangan ko ng magpost... aba with added pressure eh mukhang mahihirapan ang mga daliri ko magsulat... di ba nila alam na matindi sumpungin ang mga ito ng writers block... ayaw naman makisama ng utak kong walang lamang alak, ayaw tulungan... what to do yanni... may required length ba dito... sana wala... kailangan ko munang ibreak-in ang utak ko ng ilang araw para regular akong makapagsulat ng mga walang sense na nilalaman ng ulo ko... kaya pag pasensyahan nyo na at malamang me mapupulot din kayo sa akin ng paminsan-minsan... kung me mga kailangan kayong mga payo mula sa akin eh pwede kayong sumulat sa akin at di naman akong madamot magbigay ng aking kuro-kuro, haka-haka, cge na nga magbibigay na din ako ng payo (pero di ko sigurado na magagamit nyo ang mga payo ko)... well, that's all for now, and readers, buckle in... hope you will have fun reading same as me writing...