Cooking Lessons

Losing weight is difficult under quarantine. For one, I am able to eat whatever I crave for. I am choosy person when it comes to food. I crave for food based on my period or my mood. Haha! So if my period is on it’s way, I find the need to eat salty food and chocolates. My favorite chocolate is Toblerone. I do not know why. I have tried too many brands and types through the years but nothing beats the taste of Toblerone for me. This is also a good thing because I can get it quite easily, right?

Aside from that, I eat basic Filipino dishes for main meals. Either I prepare our lunch and dinner or my mom does, depending on whether I wake up early. I usually leave the bedroom by 9 am and sometimes she already has prepped for lunch. Otherwise, she waits for me and asks what we are having for our noon time meals. I no longer eat breakfast to lessen my food intake but this still my second day!

Below are some of the dishes/ food I have made since March — actually, there is a lot more to be shared but it would be too much.

I can cook and make anything I want as long as I have the ingredients and the energy to move. It’s quite hot in the Philippines right now, like super hot for a Filipino summer. I’d much rather stay in my cool bedroom and chill.

imchi

I made my own kimchi which I fermented for 5 days before putting in the fridge, ravioli and bread. Like yeah!

rav

 

pdc

Pardon my bread though, I am lazy when it comes to shaping dough and not caring about the size. Haha! That is pan de coco or coconut jam filled bread. The ravioli is also not shaped right because I felt tired already.

But to my credit, I also made some pretty stuff. My brownies were fudgy, my Japanese pancakes looked fluffy enough and my garlic butter shrimps were delicious!

So even if I complain that I am not losing weight, I am also the guilty party here. I stuff my face with the food I make.

Obviously, I love carbs. Haha! The first is called Aligue Pasta made from crab fat. The second is Pesto which I made from scratch. Last is shrimp scampi. If you notice the pasta I used, that is the only one I had gotten from the grocery at that time. I had a pasta overload last month. Five days into May, I haven’t eaten or cooked any pasta dish yet.

The first is coconut macaroons, a Filipino dessert made of dessicated coconut, flour, milk and eggs. The other is my banana cake which didn’t rise too much as it was loaded with extra bananas.

salad

This salad is my atonement. Hahaha! I decided to finally make this because I wanted to detox for one meal. Oh well at least I tried.

I think a lot of us have many food stories to share. Let me see yours, too!

 

 

 

 

Wedding Bells

The fiancee and I agreed to get married as early as last year. He thought 2020 was an auspicious year and we chose a date that was memorable. Looking through the calendar, we decided on June 20, 2020 as it fell on a Saturday and February 20, 2020 felt too soon after Christmas. We always did well on the first half of year so we felt that June was appropriate, planning and finance wise.

In the Philippines, there is such a thing as “pamamanhikan”. It is when the future groom’s family goes to the house of the future bride to ask for her hand in marriage by talking with her parents. They bring the food and they agree on the wedding date and details and such. The fiancee did that during my birthday last year to save on cost. Haha! I mean, it was a practical idea, after all. Hitting two birds with one stone, basically. While we already had a date in mind, my mom was a bit hesitant to agree as my brother was supposed to go on a month-long trip within that time period.

Anyway, wedding planning began by January. Since I am a procrastinator, I didn’t book a lot. I only secured the photographer and videographer to ensure we had their services as June 20 was apparently a popular date. We already had a wedding venue prior, the caterer we already talked with, along with the flowers and on the day coordinator. I decided to do most of the legwork because I thought they were doable. My save the date was done through http://www.greetingsisland.com for free and I only gave it through the web, no printing necessary. I also got my wedding invitation template from there. I was trying to save wherever I could because I felt that getting married was expensive. I wanted to celebrate the ceremony but I also didn’t want to break the bank. I was balancing the delicate task of a having memorable wedding versus spending unnecessarily. Also, since a Philippine marriage license is valid for 4 months, I decided to wait until April to process the documents. My wedding dress was already agreed upon, with a friend helping me out. I actually had ironed out most of the details, with few items to be completed. I considered it all somewhat ready for execution, given the time frame.

Then COVID-19 broke out. We were so occupied with the quarantine, closure of business and work from home that we never really discussed whether our wedding would push through. Then early this month, we talked and decided to go ahead with it since we already had the wedding rings. We were going to do it, probably at the same venue, with a very pared down guest list. I am looking at about 25-30 people present. We had already chosen a sunrise service so we are going to do it the same way. I haven’t fully made a wedding plan 2.0 but I am already thinking of it. My main concern is the wedding dress because I don’t think I can find someone who can make it in two weeks. So I am hoping to find a bridal salon that will open so I can rent one asap.

This new wedding plan is actually making me very happy. I have always wanted an intimate ceremony with very few of my loved ones and somehow it is working out that way. I didn’t want to spend a lot of money just to please a lot of people. I wanted a small, romantic wedding with the nearest and dearest to us. True, my sister and her family will be unable to come home from overseas but other than that, it’s all good.

Will update you soon. Wish me luck! = )

 

 

 

Work from Home (WFH)

Even prior to the quarantine and lock down of most cities and countries, there have been a lot of people who work in their houses. They are those who work “online” and do not need to go to the office. Their work is similar to those in the call centers, others are writers, some virtual assistants, web developers and the like. These people may or may not be time-bound and can work at their convenience. Others also work based on the time where their bosses reside, usually out of the country.

In my day job, I work on a field assignment. I do not necessarily need to report to the office on a daily basis. We are only asked to do so once a week, on a Monday. I  often travel to the different cities in Visayas and Mindanao, depending on my schedule from Tuesday to Friday. This has been my designation in the last 3 years. It was something that fit my personality because I love to travel and being alone. I work by myself, flying and driving to and fro, often not having anyone to talk to the entire day unless I have a meeting or somebody calls me up. Last year, I got almost tired of the job. I felt like I haven’t stayed a whole week at home, save for the last week of December. So by January, I took it easy, traveling every other week and this went on till March.

Then the Corona Virus pandemic broke out and the world stopped in its tracks. I no longer had to fly out and I was able to stay home straight. Today is the 44th day of me not “working”. My work  is accomplished via email, call and chat. I’ve had Google Meet, Workchat and Zoom meetings with my peers and clients all over the country. My manager sends us messages daily and we talk and discuss without having to change or shower. I do online attendance every 8 o’ clock in the morning and answer a safety check at 9. If I’m still sleepy, I return to bed after these tasks.

For me, WFH is scary because my KPI involves contracts. If I am unable to travel, I will not be able to meet anyone. I am afraid I might not meet my target due to this. I have felt anxious and afraid whether I will still have a work to get back to. Thankfully, I have a hardworking manager always encouraging us to do our tasks and offers her services if we need it. In our city, Enhanced Community Quarantine will be lifted in three days. We will downgrade to General Community Quarantine afterwards. But I am still hesitant to leave home and return to working full-time. I think I will still be working from here until June.

I guess the best thing to do is trust and believe that things will work out. My work is important to me and it is part of my income source. If worse comes to worse, I will find a new job. It’s not as if I have a choice, right? I’ll just keep my fingers crossed and have faith in my employer. I’ve worked here for 6 years, that ought to count for something.

 

K-Drama Rama

As I’ve grown older, I have finally appreciated staying at home more often. This quarantine period is not a hardship for me because holing up in my bedroom is something I missed since I got a day job. I can while away the entire day lying on my bed, reading, watching TV or movies, playing games on my phone, among other things.

I hardly ever watched any TV series since The Big Bang Theory ended. I was a regular at watching these starting from Friends, Prison Break, Grey’s Anatomy, Weeds, How I Met Your Mother, The Sopranos and Revenge.

bbt

A friend introduced me to this series and I never regretted watching. I always had fun watching every episode as it often brought out the nerd in me. Penny (Kaley Cuoco) was the proper antithesis to these scientists and amazed me with how clueless she was. Unfortunately, they ended after 12 seasons but most of their shows are still saved in my computer. I can still watch them any time.

Later on, I usually just watched movies on Netflix or the big screen when I wanted to do relax or unwind. My fiancee thinks watching movies and subsequently sleeping is a great way to spend the weekend, especially if we aren’t traveling. Due to my work, I also didn’t have much time to devote to any TV series because I would rather spend my free time sleeping. I started watching a few such as The Outlander, Designated Survivor and Money Heist but ended up to the just first few episodes only. I even tried The Game of Thrones but couldn’t go further than Season 1, Episode 1. Honestly, I didn’t last more than 5 minutes. I felt it too gruesome so I stopped. I am not really a fan of fighting and blood and knives and swords and such.

Last month, a friend told me to start with Crash Landing on You on Netflix. I told her the only Korean Drama I ever saw was That Winter the Wind Blows and that was probably 10 years ago.

TW

I told her I liked watching it because both the lead stars were good looking. I mean look at that pretty woman, right? And guy looks like a manly man. But since I didn’t really have much to do, I gave in.

CLOY

I watched Crash Landing on You on Netflix. I started Episode 1 on a Tuesday and finished it on a Saturday. I then watched Episode 2-4 with the fiancee and when I got to Episode 5, I was hooked. Would you believe me if I told you I finished the whole series in the next two days? And that I actually slept at 5 in the morning to complete the entire series. Captain Ri (Hyun Bin) was so perfect and he was like the ideal man you never knew you needed. I liked the story line because it was carefully woven and makes you realize that there are people whom you have already met previously but cannot even recall them. The story about a man from North Korea and a woman from South Korea was probably an old thing for them but for a K-drama newbie for me, it was a fantastic plot. When I was done watching that series, I looked up Hyun Bin and found out we actually share the SAME BIRTHDAY. Like seriously! And I had also seen him in a movie, The Swindlers (on Facebook) and Memories of the Alhambra (on Netflix) although I stopped at 3 episodes because it was for gamers and I couldn’t really appreciate both lead stars’ chemistry. All I remember about him was that he was good looking but wasn’t that interested until now.

dots-love

Once I was done with CLOY, my friends urged me to watch Descendants of the Sun. The female lead is the same one from That Winter the Wind Blows and apparently, these two lovebirds actually got married (and eventually divorced) in real life. I like this drama as well because it was action-packed but still light and heartwarming. It wasn’t the tear-jerker that Crash Landing on You was, so that was a relief. The second lead stars had a more dramatic love story and the rest of the cast were great characters too so it really is worth your time.

Talking with the rest of my K-drama loving friends made me realize how many I still have to catch up on. Apparently, I NEEDED to watch Itaewon Class, Goblin, My Love from the Star, Something in the Rain, The K2, Arthdal Chronicles and Worlds Within. Considering that I might not have a lot of time to watch is fine with me. At least I have these titles to look forward to in the coming months.

So if you’re wondering what to do with your free time in this COVID-19 home stay, I suggest you do as I did. Fall in love with Captain Ri and Se-ri. Totally worth your tears, I swear. Otherwise, you can also bake. Haha!

Can’t Lose It

They always said that if you want to know how your girlfriend, partner or wife will look in her old age, just look at her mother. Since I am now past 35, I have finally resigned myself to the fact that I will definitely be like my mother.

Unlike most Filipinas, I am not petite, small-boned or short. I’m taller than most of them although not by much. I have always been considered chubby although I am not obese. Just a little on the fat side, but not too overweight.

Photos from 2014 and 2020

There have been times, though, when it was easy for me to lose weight. I simply skipped eating rice during meals or do not eat after six p.m. and I’d quickly see results in just two weeks. Now, I have tried sooooo many combinations of fasting, diets, exercise, appetite-restricting coffee, pills to no avail. My body will simply not respond to it, no matter how I try. I have tried intermittent fasting, ketogenic, low-carb and a whole lot of nonsense. And of course, with quarantine and no work, that means I have nothing else to do but sleep, eat, cook, watch TV and read. I tried to exercise daily but my back hurt so I stopped. Now, I spend my days loafing around, sleeping at midnight or even later then wake up at 10 am or so.

I read the highly recommended book ‘”The Circadian Code” by Dr. Satchin Panda and even tried to incorporate it in my daily life prior to this pandemic. I really thought I would lose weight through this method and even got an app that guides me when to eat, when to exercise, and when to sleep. The term he uses is Time Restricted Eating (TRE) and is similar to the 16 -hour Intermittent Fasting (IF), although it can be varied to 12, 14 or 16 hour fasts, depending on the person. I learned so much from that book and loved how it explained how our body works and repairs on a daily basis. Sadly, my weight is still the same up to now although I did lose like two kilos at the start. Also, when I’m traveling abroad, I tend to lose weight since I walk most of the time, eat salads more and limit food due to lack of funds. Haha!

So I guess I will have to live with myself and accept the fact that I will not be the ideal woman ever. I will always be carrying around excess fats and I can no longer wear tight clothing, sleeveless tops and the like.  Isn’t that too bad?

 

 

Upside Down

In the Philippines, the Corona Virus disease had a slow start. Considering the number of Chinese tourists who come to the country on a daily basis, this was actually surprising. But when it blew up last Month, it surely put the country in a twist. Today is April 22 and by my count, I haven’t traveled for work or went to the office for at least 40 days. I used to go around the different cities in Visayas and Mindanao at least twice a month, sometimes weekly as my work demands. I cannot say I miss the trips because it was quite lonely. But I am just wondering if there is such thing as “going back to normal”after this.

The whole world has turned upside down in the sense that what we used to consider just another day has been redefined. We no longer have our regular trips to the mall, coffee shops, restaurants, gyms, church, spas and beauty clinics. Gone are the days when visiting a friend’s house can be done on a whim. Now, going to the supermarket has to be scheduled, financial resources considered and budgeting solely for food and utilities. We are spending quality time with our family, sharing meals, praying together and reconnecting after a very long time. I can honestly say this is the only time I have cooked for my parents and am doing so almost daily. I also got the chance to finally make the recipes I have found online and even made my own pasta!

I am not saying the #stayathome thing is bad. It does have it’s advantages although at the back of my mind is the small piece of doubt regarding the state of my employment. I am still a bit scared that when the time this Enhanced Community Quarantine is lifted, I might no longer have a job to return to. But I guess, this is when faith steps in. Faith that things will work out in the end and hope that God has never left our side for a moment. I am holding on to the belief that even if everything is not as it used to be, we will come out of this alive. We will emerge better people and more grateful than ever that we actually survived this pandemic.

1

This is our new work meeting. Doesn’t matter what you wear, as long as you join.

2

Because barber shops and salons are closed, no choice but to do your own haircut. Since it’s summer in the Philippines, shaving it all off makes a lot of sense.

5

Thanks to the latest Korean dramas, Korean coffee is making waves, too. (P.S. I did that!)

6

Crash Landing on You Fever! Yes, I caved in and watched Hyun Bin and Son Ye-jin fall in love and slept at 5am just to finish the entire show!

4

Home workouts are made of these: Spotify, Kettlebell and yoga mat.

3

When you need to share Ethyl Alcohol to friends in order to meet up.

Money or Happiness?

my daily view

Often I would wish I was rich that I had money to allow to travel anytime, not have to work and just stay at home. But honestly, that is just the lazy part of me. My life may not be as perfect as I want it to be but I know so many people would love to be in my shoes.

The truth is I never aspired to be very successful and have a lot of money. I am perfectly content with what I have and am truly blessed for all these. So if you ask me my answer regarding the title of this post: Money or Happiness?, hands down, it would be happiness. While it may be that money can make me not work, travel anywhere and just do nothing all day, I believe my life would be a bit empty. You see, I am a person who does not like people. Haha! I don’t mean that in a bad way. It’s just that if I don’t have to be around people, I won’t. So if I didn’t have to work, then I won’t talk to anyone save for my family members. I would just stay holed up in my room the whole day and just go out to find food I am craving for.

Just look at that photo above. That is a typical view for me if I am home. Every day, the beach is just 10 minutes away from where I live. I can walk by the sand, swim to my heart’s content any time of the day or night if I choose to. Some people, foreigners especially, travel many long hours to get here. Thus, I never take for granted what I have. I have always believed that you make your own happiness and it does not mean wealth or financial excess. Happiness can be found in eating pan de sal and dipping it in tsokolate (bread and native hot chocolate), in the laughter of night runs and birthday party gatherings. Happiness does not need to be expensive. Just waking up daily is a source of happiness, don’t you think?

I do not need a lot of money to live. I am a small-town girl at heart and have cheap thrills. The only thing I wish I had a lot of money for is for me to travel to Ireland, Morocco and Scotland and stay there for weeks. Oh and a trip on the Orient Express won’t be a bad thing, too.

Opening Remarks

It’s been a while since I had a blog and I’m afraid that old blog has been buried in the detritus of the worldwide web. But hello, hello! Welcome to the blog of the wandering feet. I call this the Mole on my Foot simply because according to my mom, this is the reason why I can’t (or won’t) stay put. Mind, this was when I was younger. But now that I am in my late thirties, it still holds true. What they say holds true then. Mom is always RIGHT!

So as an introduction, I am K. I am a Filipina who lives in one of the small cities of the Philippines, Dumaguete. I will need to explain a bit of Philippine Geography for you all to understand where I am in the globe. The Philippines is an archipelago and thus made up of 7,100 plus islands (depending on whether it is high or low tide). It is divided into three: Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. Dumaguete is in Central Visays, a small sock-shaped island and is the capital of Negros Oriental. Our dialect is Bisaya but most people speak Filipino and English quite fluently as well. Dumaguete is one of the best retirement cities in the world, according to Forbes and is evident in the number of foreigners residing here.

I decided to write again because this has always been one of my passions. I love to read, hence my belief that I am also good at writing. Haha! But seriously, I wanted to blog about the places I have visited. It may not be as many as some people but I would like to think I have been to quite a lot compared to others. I am fortunate that I travel for work and that I am confident in my own skin that traveling solo is not a problem for me. I also have a lot of food pictures that I want to share. I believe that food is a big factor in travel and trust me, I have so many of them!

I hope you will enjoy this blog and will not hesitate to comment or message.

Introduce Yourself (Example Post)

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right.

You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click the “New Post” button, and tell us why you’re here.

Why do this?

  • Because it gives new readers context. What are you about? Why should they read your blog?
  • Because it will help you focus you own ideas about your blog and what you’d like to do with it.

The post can be short or long, a personal intro to your life or a bloggy mission statement, a manifesto for the future or a simple outline of your the types of things you hope to publish.

To help you get started, here are a few questions:

  • Why are you blogging publicly, rather than keeping a personal journal?
  • What topics do you think you’ll write about?
  • Who would you love to connect with via your blog?
  • If you blog successfully throughout the next year, what would you hope to have accomplished?

You’re not locked into any of this; one of the wonderful things about blogs is how they constantly evolve as we learn, grow, and interact with one another — but it’s good to know where and why you started, and articulating your goals may just give you a few other post ideas.

Can’t think how to get started? Just write the first thing that pops into your head. Anne Lamott, author of a book on writing we love, says that you need to give yourself permission to write a “crappy first draft”. Anne makes a great point — just start writing, and worry about editing it later.

When you’re ready to publish, give your post three to five tags that describe your blog’s focus — writing, photography, fiction, parenting, food, cars, movies, sports, whatever. These tags will help others who care about your topics find you in the Reader. Make sure one of the tags is “zerotohero,” so other new bloggers can find you, too.

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