bago ko makalimutan...

busy kami nitong mga nakaraang araw kaya ngayon ko lang kayo nasulatan. i just want to say thank you for a great year with each and every one of you, kahit minsan ay nagiging saksi kayo sa ka-kupalan ng personalidad ko. two years ago, ang lungkot ng holidays ko dahil sa break-up. last year i was still in "recovery mode." but this year was different - i met and made new friends and i was able to go to beautiful places - who knows what's in store next year?

i want to thank you all for the moments, the memories and the friendships we made along the way. sana madagdagan pa ang mga magagandang memories - i'll just be a text / instant / personal message away kung kailangan ninyo ng kausap, clown, tanggero or kusinero.

i don't want this to be too melodramatic na pang-MMK, so i will just end this by wishing that sana, lahat tayo ay magkaroon ng makabuluhang holidays sa taong ito at sa mga susunod pa. here's to being part of each other's lives. cheers!

at siyempre, dapat may kiss sa dulo. *mwah* =o)

(salamt kay Bb. Joyce Cairo at Bb. Cher Vinluan at kay Sky dahil napa-gwapo nila ako dito sa picture na ito)

Chicken and Pork Adobo

Description:
they say that there are plenty of ways to cook adobo, and each method is deemed as "the way." i'm not interested in any debates, though. this recipe isn't my idea (it's actually nanay's), i just tweaked the way to cook it to suit my taste. i couldn't take a decent picture even if my life depended on it, so you just have to take my word that this dish tastes decent.

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken (the parts depend on you/your preference, but i'd use every part)
1 kilo pork (liempo or kasim, or both - as long as there's fat and skin)
garlic
onions
pepper
laurel/bay leaves
soy sauce
vinegar
cooking oil

Directions:
marinate your chicken in soy sauce, vinegar, pepper, garlic and onions - the dosage of the condiments depends on your taste - and seal in a zip-lock bag and put in your freezer overnight (but letting it stay for an additional day won't hurt either). do the same for your pork. in a big frying pan, heat up some cooking oil and saute a lot of garlic and onions, and then add your laurel/bay leaves (two big ones will do) and some pepper. add your pork along with the marinade, and cook in medium heat for about 10 minutes. add your chicken and its marinade and cook for another 10 minutes or until you notice the chicken fat rise in your liquid. remove your pork from the liquid and strain. do the same for your chicken. let them drain separately and set the liquid aside. you can skim the fat from the liquid and store that fat in a separate container, as this is good for garlic fried rice, gravy or what-have-you. heat up some oil again, and this time, fry your pork until brown. add your chicken and cook until brown. add more garlic and onions and keep sauteeing. season with pepper and keep sauteeing. season with soy sauce and vinegar, stir some more and then add about 4-6 cups of the liquid you've set aside earlier. simmer in medium to low heat until the liquid is reduced and the meat is tender. eat to your heart's content afterwards.

paintings and portraits in ACDSee (a.k.a. nag-aadik sa pag-eedit)

wala lang akong magawa sa kwarto nito kaya nag-decide akong kunan ang sarili ko habang nagkakalikot sa acoustic guitar, bass at electric guitar ko. yung sub-title in pharentheses nga pala ay idea ni Joyce kasi nabanggit ko sa kanyang na-wili ako sa pag-eedit ng mga ito using ACDSee, na unang in-introduce sa akin ni Archie - na friend namin ni Abet. kaya ayun, pa-tweak-tweak lang ng mga kulay, pa-oil painting filter here and there, at ito na ang kinalabasan. wala naman akong pine-play na partikular na piyesa o kanta, pakala-kalabit lang ng mga kwerdas at pa-tipa-tipa hanggang pumutok ang mga kalyo sa sakit. magkakaibang araw pala kinunan ang mga ito - yung pics with the acoustic guitar nung birthday ko (nov. 27, 2008, thursday), tinitipa ko lang yung "Panaginip" ng POT tapos yung isang chord pattern na matagal ko nang nilalaro pero wala namang pamagat, at saka mga generic na blues scale na hindi ko alam kung tama nga ang notes. na-realize ko na mahirap palang magpa-antok kapag busog na busog ka - nag-Mang Jimmy's kasi kami nung ilan kong officemates bago ako umuwi. sabi din nila na kapag hindi ka raw makatulog, baka may nag-iisip sa iyo - na hindi ko naman alam kung totoo nga sa kaso ko dahil i have no way of knowing. oh well, off-topic naman yun...

yung mga pictures naman with the bass ay kinunan nung november 30, 2008, sunday, bandang hapon na. kasi nga naman, nalasing ako the night before kasi binisita ako ng ilang mga kaibigan. iba't ibang moods din kasi ang naipahiwatig ko nung araw na iyon, from the tearfully melancholic [dahil may naalalang tragic two years ago] to the nervously euphoric [dahil may tumawag na kaibigan na hindi ko in-expect - yung friend ko sa "angelic" entry ko, si Anne]. before shooting pala, pinag-tripan kong pagkain ay yung dala nina Dhang na leche flan-filled eggs at yung dalang balut ni Terence - na, as i expected, ay panalo sa sarap. nang medyo mapagod ako, nagpasya akong matulog muna.

pag-gising ko nang mga bandang 10:30 ng gabi, kumain ako nung natirang adobo from the previous night's celebration at binawasan ang Pepsi Max na nasa ref. habang kumakain ako, nag-text si Anne at nangangamusta sa naging araw ko. sabi ko, ayun nga, kumakain ako nung ulam kagabi at saka mag-mamatamis pagkatapos - eh kasi itinabi ko sa isang lalagyan yung ginawang leche flan ng Mommy ni Jhen at dinala ni Jhen nung sabado. naubos ko yung kalahati, i.e., bale isang llanera kasi 2 yun eh - kasi ang tamis niya eh. salamat po ulit sa pasalubong =). tapos, nagkwentuhan lang kami ni Anne nang konti sa text tapos natulog na siya kasi napagod maghapon - birthday naman kasi nung Nanay ng boyfriend niya kaya medyo naging busy siguro. since kagigising ko nga lang at palibhasa'y wala namang pasok ng lunes, nagpaka-adik na ako sa pagkuha ng litrato habang tinitipa ang aking ever-reliable na RJ Strat. hay naku, siguro kung talentado lang talaga ako, baka may napala ako sa pag-gigitara kahit papaano - pero hindi eh, kahit anong praktis eh nangingibabaw pa rin ang tunog-garahe mentality ko. madaling-araw na ako natapos nito, tapos last week ay in-edit ko silang lahat. wala, nag-outlet lang ako dito, i guess. madami pa rin akong iniisip, at madaming bagay pa ring nag-re-rent ng space sa utak ko, 'ika nga nila - mga bagay na dapat hindi ko na iniisip, pero for some reason ay bumabalik-balik pa rin sa kamalayan ko, especially on bad or rough days. siguro nga, some things take a while to get over with - i'm roughly 80-85% over that "something," and maybe in time i'll be completely over it. 'ika nga ng mga katotong ka-inuman: "to the wounds that never heal..." , to which i candidly reply:

"to my one million pesos from Eddie Gil." - rhyme pa rin naman eh.

yung mga captions, sa mga kanta ko hiniram, gaya ng "Thinking About You" ng Radiohead, "Out of My Head" ng Fastball, "Freedom" at "Bullet in the Head" ng Rage Against The Machine, "Di Mo Lang Alam" at "Diwata" ng Indio I, at saka dun sa tula kong "purple". and then i end this album with a quote from blues legend Buddy Guy, as i've been having them blues lately, to be honest with you.

oh well, maybe this too, will pass.

chili-garlic oil

Description:
this is quite self-explanatory, i guess. you could use this to top your congee / tokwa't baboy combo, as part of your barbecue marinade / basting mixture, as: 1) a spicy dip by itself or perhaps: 2) mixed with mayonnaise (for chips, etc.), 3) ketchup (for fried chicken), 4) toyomansi (for siomai), 5) toyo / suka / sibuyas combo (your generic tokwa't baboy sauce), or maybe for 6) spaghetti or caldereta to give them an additional kick. be creative, try it on anything as much as possible. well, don't try it on your eyes, because you'll be screaming like hell afterwards.

Ingredients:
1/4 kilo of fresh red chili (siling labuyo), stems removed
1/2 kilo of garlic, peeled
1.5 liters of canola oil or ordinary cooking oil

Directions:
grind your garlic in a food processor or blender for a few seconds, or until the texture is to your liking, and then set aside. do the same for your fresh chili. heat your 1.5 liters of oil in a wok or frying pan that's big enough for about 1 and 1/2 to 2 minutes or until you see slight traces of smoke rising. turn off the heat and then add your ground chili afterwards. be careful, as the oil may spill over if it's too hot, or the fumes could burn your skin/eyes if you're too close. stir constantly without heat and after 2 minutes, put your pan in low heat. keep stirring for about 5 minutes and then increase your heat to medium. keep stirring for about 1 minute, then turn your heat to low. stir continuously, and then increase your heat to medium after one minute, and then to high after another minute. add your garlic and keep stirring. after about 30 seconds, lower your heat to medium. keep stirring for 5 minutes on medium to low heat. increase your heat from medium to high in the next two minutes, just be cautious not to burn your chili and garlic. keep stirring for a couple of more minutes until your garlic is brown and crisp. remove from heat and let it cool before storing it in a stainless steel container. you could use an old ice cream tin half gallon, if you have one. just make sure it's clean and dry.

Baked Tahong / Sizzling Adobong Tahong

Description:
this can be a main dish or pulutan, depending on your preference. i'll be dicussing the version i prepared last November 29, 2008 as well as other variations/twists to this dish. the photo was taken by my friend, Cher Vinluan. thanks, Cher. =)

Ingredients:
buttered/sauteed version:

4 kilos tahong (mussels), cleaned
ginger, sliced into thin strips
4 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cup water
6 tbsps. butter or margarine
garlic, finely chopped
salt
pepper
a few pcs. fresh red chili or 2 tsps. chili-garlic oil (optional)
1 small bar of cheese

adobo/sizzling version:

4 kilos tahong (mussels)
ginger, sliced into thin strips
4 tbsps. cooking oil
1 cup water
6 tbsps. pork lard
garlic, finely chopped
red onion, coarsely chopped
salt
pepper
soy sauce
vinegar (plain or spiced, whichever you prefer)
2 pcs. fresh chopped green chili or 2 tsps. chili-garlic oil (whichever you prefer)
1 small bar of cheese


Directions:
for the buttered/sauteed version:

put the 4 tbsps. of cooking oil in a pan big enough to contain your mussels. saute your ginger for a few seconds and then add the mussels and water. cover your pan and let the mussels simmer until they open up. remove them from the fire and then let them cool down a bit. aftewards, remove the mussels from their shells and set them aside. in a heated pan, put your butter or margarine (whichever you prefer) and saute your garlic until golden brown. add the mussels and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. cook them for about 4-5 minutes and then set them aside. grate about half of the cheese at the bottom of your baking pan or dish, and then arrange the mussels on top. do not include the excess liquid in the pan/dish. grate the rest of the cheese on top of the mussels and then bake until the cheese melts. serve and enjoy afterwards.

for the baked adobo/sizzling adobo version:

put the 4 tbsps. of cooking oil in a pan big enough to contain your mussels. saute your ginger for a few seconds and then add the mussels and water. cover your pan and let the mussels simmer until they open up. remove them from the fire and then let them cool down a bit. aftewards, remove the mussels from their shells and set them aside. in a heated pan, put your pork lard and saute your garlic and onions. saute until the garlic is brown and the onions are transluscent. add the mussels and season with salt and pepper according to your taste. cook them for about 4-5 minutes and then season them with your soy sauce and vinegar. simmer until your liquid is reduced, and then add the chili. set your adobo aside. grate about half of the cheese at the bottom of your baking pan or dish, and then serve your adobo on top. grate the rest of the cheese on top of the adobo and then bake until the cheese melts. serve and enjoy afterwards.

OR

you can just serve it on a sizzling plate with some onions, cheese and more chili. the dosage is all up to you.

as i've said earlier, this could be your main dish or pulutan, depending on your preference. personally, i'd enjoy as a variation of our "-silog template" or just gorge on it while having ice-cold red horse, san mig, or my old school lambanog, Quezon style.

nga pala...

para sa mga nagpunta sa tahanan namin nung Sabado, November 29, 2008 para sa aking post-30^th birth anniversary celebration / kainan / inuman / kwentuhan / harutan, gusto ko lang magpasalamat from the bottom of my banana heart. masaya ako at nakapunta kayo – alam ko namang mga busy tayong lahat kaya let me tell you how much i appreciate that you gave me your time and effort on that night.

 

sana eh maging annual event ito sa mga calendars ninyo. mabuti at nasarapan din kayo sa mga niluto namin nina Kuya at Nanay, tradisyon na kasi sa amin na busugin ang mga bisita/tropa na dumadayo sa amin. hayaan ‘nyo, next year baka may take-out pa lahat – yung mga “suki” na kasi sa bahay (gaya nina “A”, “F”, at “K”) ay may kanya-kanyang “loot bag” everytime manggagaling sa amin. pati nga si Kuya natuwa at biglang dumami ulit ang mga “noisy” – kasi in recent years medyo hindi na rin makapunta ang mga tao kasi either mga busy, nasa abroad, may ibang lakad, etc. kaya this year was an improvement in terms of turnout / attendance.

 

salamat din pala Cher sa mga pics (at salamat din kay Sky), re-post ko na lang sila dito sa site ko later. pasensiya na kung hindi ko kayo masyadong naasikaso lahat, i hope you understand. medyo na-overwhelm lang kasi nanibago ako sa dami ng mga taong pumunta. sana next time makilala pa ninyo yung iba pa naming tropa nina Abet from college, para mas riot. =)

 

siyanga pala, na-touch ako dun sa mga isinulat ninyo sa notebook – nabasa ko lang nung magpapahinga na ako sa kwarto. para bang nabasa ninyo ang isip ko na i wanted something handwritten/personal – i remember nung college kasi, whenever merong may birthday sa student organization namin, bibili lang ng folder yung other mems tapos lahat sila susulat dun ng kahit ano para dun sa celebrator. wala lang, yung mga ganung klaseng regalo ang mas nakakapag-pasaya sa akin – mga simple lang, di naman kailangang magarbo. sa sobrang tuwa ko, narito ang mga sulat ni tinutukoy ko:

again, the words “thank you” may not be worth much sa ibang tao, but for someone like me, when i say “thank you”, i speak / shoot from my heart. maraming salamat ulit sa pagbibigay ninyo ng oras – you could have chosen to be somewhere else, but you chose to be with me that night. and i’ll never forget it, trust me.

 

- mic

 

hi God...

alam Mo, dapat kahapon ko ito isusulat, kaso kinailangan naming umalis ng iba kong officemates nang maaga para mag-dinner sa Mang Jimmy's - pero, You probably know that already. masaya naman ang birthday ko kahapon, madaming bumati sa akin sa text at sa guestbook ko dito sa Mulitply. salamat at naging maganda naman ang taong 2008 para sa akin, kahit hindi ako mabait sa Iyo at madalas ay gago pa rin ako, ang dami Mo pa ring biyayang ibinigay sa akin. at saka marami Ka ring ipinakilalang bagong mga kaibigan sa akin since last year pa, at yung iba sa kanila, na-meet ko uli at medyo naging ka-close ko this year - sana pang-matagalan na sila sa buhay ko. alam kong alam Mo na kung gaano ako ka-grateful sa pagdating nila sa buhay ko - at oo, sabihan Mo na akong baduy, pero totoo yung sinabi kong yun. kagabi, bago ako mag-goodnight sa Iyo, tinipa ko sa gitara yung "Panaginip" ng POT, para baka sakali lang na managinip ako nang maganda. kaninang umaga, wala akong matandaan kung nanaginip nga ba ako kagabi o hindi, pero okey lang. alam Mo namang may mga bagay akong ayaw kong hanggang sa panaginip na lang, di ba? sorry kung minsan ay parang naiinip ako sa mga plano Mo para sa akin, kasi naman parang ang olats palagi ng buhay p.i. ko - di ko tuloy alam kung napupunta lang sa "spam folder" Mo yung mga panalangin ko. pero alam ko namang binabasa Mo silang lahat, siguro nga hindi lang ako priority sa ngayon. pero Lord, sana naman, bago ko kailanganing mag-Viagra on a regular basis eh ipakilala Mo na siya sa akin - promise, aalagaan ko siyang mabuti at iingatan ko ang puso niya. sana lang, kapag pinitas na niya ang puso ko eh hindi naman niya yurak-yurakan kapag ayaw na niya sa akin - pakibalik na lang sa akin nang maayos para maibigay ko dun sa karapat-dapat. mababaw lang naman ang kaligayahan ko eh - hindi naman ako hihiling ng maraming pera, kotse, o bahay sa Boracay from You - ang gusto ko lang ay pagkakataon "to love the way i can really love" (oo, alam kong alam Mong hiniram ko lang itong quote na ito sa ex- ko, pero alam Mong walang kaugnayan itong isinusulat ko sa kanya). hanggang ngayon naghihintay pa rin po ako, sana lang kapag nandiyan na ay paki-sampal sa mukha ko yung "sign," kasi alam naman ninyong bobo ako pagdating sa pagbabasa ng "signs." o siya, kakain po muna ako kasi baka mangayayat naman ako, sayang naman ang kagandahang-lalake ko 'pag nagkataon. kwentuhan na lang tayo pag-uwi ko ng bahay mamaya.

hindi ko na rin ni-restrict ang access sa entry na ito, kasi kahit naman private, alam kong mababasa Mo pa rin ito - pero, You probably know that already.

Sarah McLachlan - I Love You (Mirrorball Live)

gandang-ganda ako sa kantang ito. siyempre, nakaka-relate kasi ako - hindi lang minsan, pero maka-ilang beses na rin sa tanang buhay ko. oks din yung spiel ni Sarah before performing the song, it's so appropriate/sakto lang. i posted the lyrics as well =).

**********************************************************************

I Love You
Sarah McLachlan


I have a smile
Stretched from ear to ear
To see you walking down the road

We meet at the lights
I stare for a while
The world around us disappears

And it's iust you and me
On my island of hope
A breath between us could be miles

Let me surround you
My sea to your shore
Let me be the calm you seek

Oh but every time I'm close to you
There's too much I can't say
And you just walk away

And I forgot
To tell you
I love you
And the night's
Too long
And cold here
Without you
I grieve in my condition
For I cannot find the words to say I need you so

Oh and every time I'm close to you
There's too much I can't say
And you just walk away

And I forgot
To tell you
I love you
And the night's
Too long
And cold here
Without you
I grieve in my condition
For I cannot find the words to say I need you so bad

I need you so bad

pagdapo

pagdapo

a little backgrounder on this one: this piece was written on the morning of October 16, 2008 – or the first day of the RACE Negros Occidental tour. as i checked-in quite early sa airport, i decided to write something in my notebook just to see if i had anything left in me. i managed to cough up a few words before i decided to shelf the piece for a while, so that i could continue it later at the hotel or wherever. i hadn’t slept since the night before, so my head was quite fucked up, i.e., super ngarag pa rin hanggang paglapag namin sa Negros Occ. after namin manggaling sa Balay Negrense Heritage House, nagpasya ang grupo na mag-breakfast sa isang malapit na kainan. habang hinihintay ang kani-kanilang orders, nagsi-idlip muna ang ilan sa amin, including myself. pagkagising, wala pa rin ang mga orders nila. since hindi naman ako nag-order ng almusal, i decided to continue with the piece at tingnan kung saan ako makakarating. ipinabasa ko ito pagkatapos kay Lanie at siya rin ang nag-suggest na i-publish ko ito during a YM chat some time ago.

naisipan ko lang siya ng pamagat kaninang umaga, by the way. here it is…

pagdapo

wala pang tulog maghapon, magdamag.

wala pa rin sila – mukhang napa-aga ako.

masakit ang ulo, malamig ang paa.

naka-cowboy hat sa gitna ng wala.

patuloy ang galaw ng mga langaw

habang

pataas ang araw,

mistulang nagsasagupaang balaraw.

tatagos sa laman mo na parang pagbutas ng hikaw,

sing-talim ng sikat ng araw.

ang mga titig nila,

tutugisin at papatayin ka

tulad ng balang ligaw.

mulat ka na ngunit puyat,

mata mo’y sing-hapdi ng sugat,

ng ginayat na balat.

tinanong ka ng katabi mo,

ano ang iyong sinusulat?

naisip ko: ano nga ba?

marahil puro matatalim na sibat

gawa ng matinding puyat…

my post-birthday kainan / inuman / harutan / picture-an / celebration

Start:	Nov 29, '08 7:00p
End:	Nov 30, '08 07:00a
Location:	Blk. 1 Lot 28, St. Joseph St., Metroville Subd., Cainta, Rizal

hello po. birthday ko sa november 27, pero since weekday siya, ang balak ko sanang celebration ay sa november 29 para sabado - sana pwede kayong pumunta sa aming tahanan.

magluluto po ako, at gagawan ko ng paraan yung alak/beer. ang mga chibog on the menu ay chicken-pork adobo, pusit, baked/adobong tahong, spaghetti and/or carbonara. di ko pa sure kung ano yung dessert at kung madadagdagan yung courses, depende pa sa aking budget.

for any questions na walang mathematical computations, you may contact me thru the following:

mobile: 09173555055
YM user id: linteknapartyboyjapanyan
or pwede ring PM na lang dito sa multiply