All things "Patchy"

So I've mentioned that I have a new job, but I haven't really explained what it entails. It won't be a big secret for long -- especially on the Web -- so it's time to fess up.

I'll be a local news editor for the new hyper-local community news site Patch.com.

Patch-what?

That would be Patch.com, a new start-up venture that began in early 2009 and is determined to take community journalism into the future. It's the quest that's eluded the journalism industry for years- how can the industry build successful business revenue from the web, since that's where the audiences are flocking to anyway. It's always been disconcerting to me that nearly 20 years after the World Wide Web made it's debut, the journalism industry is still resisting Communications' place in the new digital age. It's as if journalists would rather hold on to their increasingly obslete traditional media as the ship continues to sink. But the string quartet has been playing "Nearer my God to Thee" for awhile now...sorry had to throw in that Titanic reference.

We can't keep resisting the change. We have to embrace it. We have to keep looking to the future, not always struggling to catch up. Why? While the journalism industry struggles, people are still consuming information. They're consuming it more than ever...just in different forms than your usual print, radio or television. There's much more of a need. And when there's a demand, we must figure out how to supply it.

That's what Patch is trying to do. Part of AOL corporations, it has what most start up Web journalism sites don't have -- substantial financial backing. They've hired legions of talented journalists -- I'm honored to be included in this bunch --  to produce community-specific news Web sites. Everything that happens in your community, we're there! We have our feet on the street to bring you up-to-the minute news from local government, to sports, to local entertainment.

We recently had our company-wide conference in San Francisco (company flew us out there and shacked us up in the chic Intercontinental Hotel near Union Square). It was great networking, speaking to my colleagues and getting an idea of what to expect in my new position. I even learned new company lingo -- "patchy," meaning something hip and cool...yeah, it may take awhile before that really catches on. Plus it's always nice to have a change of scenery...expecially when it's Frisco, one of my most favorite cities!

Having been a reporter and an editor for both newspaper and magazines for several years, I'm happy to move solidly in the Web field. It's a new venture . . . who knows if Patch will be the first company to get it right, to save professional journalism from extinction, but it's a step in the right direction, and I'm proud to be a part of it.

We were in Frisco for just two days (most of the time sitting through sessions, networking and partying), but we did have some time to take a quick walk around town. BTW, I love SF's Chinatown. You must stop by the bakery on Grant and get a sesame ball while it's warm!

Babies, Adventures in the Kitchen and Nore-what???

So is this how it goes? I find a job and I ditch blogging altogether? Considering that I haven't blogged in oh, 2 weeks,  I'd understand if this little bloggie blog of mine would feel mighty neglected.

Like an unfaithful significant other, I'm pleading forgiveness and vowing more us time. So where to begin? I apologize, but it looks like it's going to be a lazy summary of what's happened in the last couple of weeks. Brutal, but it must be done.

New Addition to the Family
 I'm an auntie again! This time it's my sister-in-law who's given birth to her first child--a beautiful little girl. It's a wondrous occasion because it's also the first grandchild for the in-laws. We visited them in the Bay Area and the families were just giddy with excitement for the lil one. Yes, I loved our new little niece the first time I laid eyes on her, but I just have to chuckle...I mean, can there be such thing as being overly proud of your baby? I mean, I can understand the amount of fawning that goes on when a new baby -- especially the first -- is born into a family. "Oh, she isn't she the most gorgeous baby you've ever seen?" "She is sooo much cuter than such-and-such's baby!" "No other baby is cuter than our little girl." Considering that I already have three other nieces -- all of whom were flower girls at our wedding -- I was willing to be more neutral on the "baby wars." . But you know what, it's ok to be overly proud of your new baby, or granchild or niece. She's yours. You love her. You are truly blessed to have her. Savor the moment.

Hello, Work Force!
New job is going well. Since the company is new, and the position is new, navigating through all the details can give you a headache. Literally. I think I must have spent hours trying to get into our programming system...something that I'm sure won't take me more than a few seconds once I get into the routine of things. But I'm excited. I'm working in a field that I fascinated with -- Communications. In this day and age, it's an evolving and dynamic field. I was trained in print journalism, but no one can deny that the entire journalism industry is heading toward the digital world, albeit somewhat delayed by many accounts (ask the legions of unemployed journalists out there). Instead of fighting the future, I believe firmly in embracing it. I'm thrilled of the new opportunities in store. Prayers for guidance into this promising new adventure!

Nore-what?
That would be norebang and that's what we did for my lil sis' birthday bash. Norebang is Korean for song box, and that's what norebangs are really - a private room (some as small as boxes) where you and your friends can sing to Karaoke, without you having to sit through other folks' awful renditions of Summer Lovin. My sister rented a large, comfy room in LA's Koreatown where we sang with ultimate surround sound (uh, make that everyone but me...I don't sing). Makes a perfect night out for the karaoke king and queens out there!

Although, I did take to the mic once in a previous norebang experience. Yup, if you get me drunk enough I'll sing some Genie in the Bottle for ya! 

Lil Sis, the Rockstar
My lil sis in a band called the Lodevico Technique, a combination of our last name and a Clockwork Orange reference. A little ironic cuz their debut performance was at my sister's church's annual fair and A Clockwork Orange isn't quite church-inspired material, but oh well. She and her band rocked it out despite the rain.

You know what else I loved? Pupusas....mmmmm. They look like pancakes but they're stuffed with meat and cheese. El Salvador might be a tiny country but they sure know how to make their grub. 

RIP Trick-or-Treating!
Seriously, is trick or treating a thing of the past? Is it going the way of ice cream trucks and the milk man? Not one trick or treater came to our door for Halloween. Sad.

Run, Forest, Run!
I'm behind in my training by a couple weeks, but I'm still running. I'm up to 5 miles and have to tackle 6 miles this week. I've been running at our local park which is a 0.4 mile loop. Just to run 5 miles, I had to make it around 12.5 times. Kind of hard to keep track of my rounds. So I'm in search of a place to run long distances. I may check out Bonelli Park as a possible training site.

What's for Dinner?
I'm still cooking, even with the new job. I enjoy it so why quit what you love? I don't particularly like eating out when I know I have food in the fridge that might go bad soon if I don't whip up something with it. I hate waste. I hate spending a ton of money on eating out. But cooking has been so common that I've kind of slacked off with the food porn photo shoots. What has been on the menu lately?
* Beef Calderetta (a Filipino beef stew) -  Delicious, but the flavor might have been a bit too different for the other people in the house. I used Mama Sita's Spicy Calderetta mix. Great time saver, although I don't think it's that spicy
* Pumpkin pie - I was in the mood for some pumpkin pie on Halloween. But I cheated and used the super-duper easy recipe behind the can of my ready-made pie mix. Just add Carnation evaporated milk, eggs and pie mix into the ready-made store bought pie shell and you're good to go. Nothing spectacular in terms of culinary feats, but it was oh-so-good. Kinda bummed someone else beat me to the last piece in the fridge!

* Chicken Katsu, mac salad and rice- sounds like an odd combo, but if you've been to Hawaii and eaten a plate lunch, it's a perfect threesome. We're missing Hawaii (Kauai was our honeymoon spot), the waves, the island breeze. So I decided to whip up something my hubby adores. The Mac salad was pretty easy, although I had to make some modifications to the recipe. Yummy and on the sweet side. The chicken katsu was kind of time consuming, especially when you're cooking a huge portion. But the end result was worth it!
* Pasta with Prawns in Creamy Garlic Sauce - A tasty dish for any lover of the stinking rose. Just be sure not to overcook the shrimp. My mistake as they were a bit tough.

* Chicken Adobo - a Filipino staple and favorite.  I grew up with this stuff. In fact I know it by heart. While it's so easy to make and requires just a few ingredients (seriously just soy sauce, vinegar, bay leaf and chicken), the flavor is really intense, but delicious.

* Baked Mac and Cheese - I think I needed more cheese for the portion I was making, but the roux was so yummy. Bay leaf was something new to most mac and cheese recipes I've done, but it was a great addition!

* Egg salad sandwich - What's so great about egg salad? Well, if you add a little onion, a little celery and a dash of curry powder, you have one tasty sandwhich!

* Hu Tieu/Banh Pho Don Xao Bo (Vietnamese Crispy Rice Noodle Beef Stir-Fry)

As you can tell, my end result didn't look as tantalizing as my inspiration  on WanderingChopsticks , but even though mine wasn't as good, the fam still enjoyed the taste. Think I'll try this recipe again...maybe I'll get it right the next time.
Read more: http://wanderingchopsticks.blogspot.com/2010/07/hu-tieu-banh-pho-don-xao-bo-vietnamese.html#ixzz14ZmoWaYT

* Chicken Curry Fried Rice - What I always do with leftover rice is fry it. But I'm always looking for new ways to fry rice besides the same old garlic and soy sauce combo. Since I had been on a curry powder kick lately, I decided to try this recipe. I eased up on the curry powder portion. Glad I did because it would have been way too overwhelming. The dish turned out well, the curry being intense but flavorful.
* Sweet and Sour Chicken - I didn't have enough ketchup that this recipe called for so my sauce was a bit thin. But I did marinate the chicken in a little soy sauce and rice wine to give it a little more flavor. I loved the bell peppers and the sweetness of the sauce, although I think I'd cut back on the pineapple in the future. It was a bit too tart for me.

I'm sure there were more dishes, but I'm probably boring you...Oh an my father-in-law brought us a box of potatoes. Hmmm....potato dishes, coming right up!

Prayers answered: I found a job!

Hallelujah! Yes, it's true. I will be entering the workforce very soon! Hello steady income! Hello benefits!

I will be an online news editor for a growing community news organization. What's even better is that it's a job I truly wanted. It's a job that utilizes my journalism education and experience. And yes, that master's degree in communications actually came in handy!

I had been unemployed for several months...10 months actually, with a few freelance and temporary gigs in between. The truth is, being unemployed can take a huge beating on your ego. When you explain to people that you're "looking for a job," you try not to notice their judgemental glances, they're "so-sorry-for-you" looks. Do they think less of you, is that a smirk? Are they smug because they have a job, a great salary and you? You're just doing nothing.

I hated feeling like a slacker, wallowing in the stagnant state of my professional career. People who really know me, know that I am ambitious. I'm an expert at mapping out goals and making lists. Suffering through 10 months of unemployment was never on any of those lists.

Then the desperation kicks in, you start applying for almost any job that you're qualified for...maybe even some that you're not so qualified to take, but heck...it's a job.

But looking back, I know that my situation wasn't ever too desperate. We were fortunate to have family who helped support us when we had zero income. We were fortunate to receive a sizable amount of monetary gifts from our wedding. I know that many people don't have that kind of support. I prayed often and for some reason, I had a sense of confidence that things would always work out, even if the outset was getting pretty bleak. I'm a firm believer in putting your most difficult trials in the hands of a higher power, in God, and He would help guide you in the right direction.  Had I felt pressured to take any job that was offered to me earlier in my job search, I may have never found the job I was so fortunate to find now.

So now I look forward to starting off where I left off, working my way up in the communications field. I'm grateful for this opportunity and I'm going to make the best of this. So, yes, there is hope. Have faith, keep the positivity, hold on to patience, look to your support network (Friends? Family?), search for and maximize the resources around you, and things will work out as they should.

Amen.

Adventures in the Kitchen #2

 Personal Photo

Banana Pudding
We had a batch of overripe, black patchy bananas. That happens a lot in this household. But I hate waste. And anyone who knows anything about bananas and desserts, bananas are best when they start getting their spots. So I made a some banana pudding. Never in my life have I made it, but I decided to give it a crack, using this recipe. Verdict? Loved it. I love Vanilla wafers and lining them on our pie dish made a wonderful, yummy crust. The consistency was a little thin, so next time I might add more egg yolks. Overall, very good! Not a bad way to salvage food!

Personal Photo

Sun-Dried Tomato Penne Pasta
This was adapted from Giada DeLaurentis' show (who, I'm convinced, can't possibly eat all the high-carb and sugary food she makes), but I added ground beef since a vegetarian dish wouldn't fly in this household. I used a jar of garlic marinated Sun-Dried tomatoes, but I needed more sauce for the amount of people I was cooking for...Forgive me, we're poor, so we I threw in another jar of marinara sauce. In the end, it seemed like another bolognese pasta with penne, but it was still good. The basil adds great color and flavor.

 Personal Photo

Lemon Garlic Baked Tilapia
The in-laws gave us a bunch of Tilapia fillets, so I had to think of an easy and quick way to cook them. I used this recipe, but followed reader reviews and used more butter. I didn't have a whole lot of fresh garlic left so I used garlic powder. I sauteed the butter, garlic powder, pepper, lemon and parsely together before I poured it over the chicken. Luckily Tilapia cooks pretty fast and 15 minutes at 375 degrees was just enough to get it moist and flaky, but cooked. It was yummy and light. To get the most out of the flavor, I would let the fish marinate for as long as possible. When I warmed up leftovers, the fish had soaked in all the flavors overnight and it tasted soooo much better.

Pursuing my "Happyness"



I recently wrapped up, after months of delay, Chris Gardner's inspirational story, "The Pursuit of Happyness."

Yes, I did see the Will Smith flick and, yes, it compelled me to read the novel. I'm glad I did, because reading it gave me more insight on the man who literally made a millions off of nothing (in his case, a negative bank account).

Also, reading the book made me think of my own "happyness" (if you read the novel or see the movie, the misspelling comes from a sign from his son's questionable daycare facility).

More than a year ago, I earned my masters in Communications from CSU Fullerton. I was a managing editor for an Asian American fashion and lifestyle magazine. Life was good. Then my magazine folded due to a lagging economy. After years of a career in journalism and communication, I was without a job. Living at home with the parents. Then I got married, and I was truly happy. But there was a part of me that wasn't quite complete. I felt like my professional career was at a stand still. While I enjoyed making a home for my hubby, and taking on culinary adventures in the kitchen while, previously, I lacked the time to do so, I felt there was more that I had to do.

I decided to volunteer, taking on projects with the Pacific Asia Museum in Pasadena. Being of Asian background, and my husband being both Asian and Pacific Islander, I've always been interested in API arts, culture and issues (one of my fave blogs is Angry Asian Man).

Then, slowly, I realized that I am happy. Even though I need a job, and want a truly satisfying career, it doesn't take away from the things I am truly blessed to have. I'm married to my best friend and soulmate (Cheesy, but true). I have a truly loving family that is continually growing (a niece will be born any day now!). I have friends that have been there for me throughout the years and continue to do so. I'm making new friendships and relationships I truly value. I'm savoring the little moments that I didn't have time to do before in between work and graduate school -- reading, cooking, writing, blogging, watching movies, even things like cuddling and taking afternoon naps with the hubby!

I haven't let being unemployed define me, and I think that has kept me sane, happy and has allowed me to truly enjoy the blessings I do have.

For that, I know I've found my "Happyness."

Post-wedding ramblings: Carving out me in the we.

There is a tendency among couples to withdraw from their social world once they become a "social unit." Days before we tied the knot, a good friend of mine bemoaned, "We have to hang out before you get married! After that, I'll never see you again!" It sounded so absurd to me during my pre-marital days that I vowed never to become part of that hermit couple, the ones who drop off the face of the earth, never to be seen or heard from again. But two months into our marriage, I'm seeing how that can be possible. Wanting to spend every moment with your new spouse, coupled with work, school and fatigue...yeah, I can see how a busy routine can slowly erase any inkling of a social life from your schedule. In the middle of job hunting, merging assets and settling into a new home and routine, I realize I have barely been in contact with most of my friends since getting hitched. It becomes even more difficult living a good 30 minutes from everyone.

But, no, just because we're married, we shouldn't lose aspects of our former single selves, as if everyone and everything from our previous lives are purged from our memories. Instant amnesia. You now must start over. No. That's not what marriage is about. It shouldn't stop us from cultivating relationships outside of our marriage.

Gosh, I've been so MIA, and yes, I attribute it to wedding planning. How bizzare...I never thought I would be that girl, the one who lived, breathed dreamed nearly every moment planning the imminent wedding. Now, it's over, done with. Do I have post wedding blues? In a way, I kind of miss the planning part, doing all the research, working on DIY projects, getting all crafty and  creative and sharing it with all of my fellow brides on my other blog. But, now I've crossed the threshold--literatlly, although the hubs would have died trying to carry me across it--and I love it! I love going from bride to wife. I wouldn't give that up for anything and I'm so relieved that the day finally arrived...geez, after eight years, I wouldn't want to wait another minute! No more waiting...but now what? The hubby and I are working on building and nurturing our new relationship from betrothed couple to married couple.

But is it really different? People tell me all the time, things don't really change when you get married...and well, I'm already seeing the difference.

For instance, the hubs and I merged our assests and set up a joint checking account. We agreed on what expenses we would pay out of the joint account verses our own personal accounts...but I'm still getting used to that...sharing money. I still have the tendency to want to purchase things with my own card and my own money. He and I are still learning that what decisions we make not only affect us, but each other...even more so now that we're married. I suppose I'm still trying to figure out a healthy balance of individuality and independence with marital unity.

What I'm slowly learning is that developing and nurturing your relationships with not only your spouse, but with friends and family is vital to maintaining your own individual identity.You also must be comfortable with who you are, before and during marriage. You need it. You can't contribute to a partnership--a whole--if you aren't whole yourself.

So, now I am on a conscious ongoing mission, to nurture my relationships, with not only my new husband, but with my family and friends. I need to pick up the phone and call the friend I've been putting off talking to. I need to drive over to my parents' place and see how they're doing. I need to spend time with my sister. I need to call my big sis in AZ. Oh, yeah, there's the family dog at my parents' place who is sorely in need of a walk.

I went to mass this past Sunday and I had a Judy Blume moment where I asked, "Are you there, God? It's me, Hazel. Yup, I know we haven't talked in awhile..."

I need to nurture the relationship with myself. finish that book I've been putting off reading. I need to actively pursue my life's goals and ambitions. Hello, new job? Aren't I planning to run a marathon in 6 months???

But there are times when it's ok to let go. There are times where either he or I will need to sacrifice, for each other and we'll both want to. We're not doing this all on our own anymore. And it feels so good to know that.

Finding my MUSE

MUSE at the Staples Center (9/25/10)

Back in the day, I used to be all on top of the newest, hottest band. I went to all-ages punk and ska shows, I could name every band on the radio, including those that were still under the radar (and thus cooler since no one else had heard of them yet). I donned concert T-s and Docs. My hair was a different color every other week.

So what happened?

I got older. I got preoccupied with school and work. And I became - yikes! - uncool. Yeah, I still love my music, but I must say, the bands I know these days are the ones I'm sure most people do. The last concert I paid a ticket to go see? Coldplay at the Honda Center in Anaheim in 2008. Not shabby, but I know there are plenty of great music I'm missing out on.

Thanks to my younger sis, who graciously gave me her extra ticket, I got to see MUSE at the Staples Center the other night. I've liked MUSE for a few years now, but after watching them live, I think they're probably the best rock performance I've seen. No kidding. MUSE is a combination of progressive rock, alternative and metal with the showmanship of a 70's stadium rock band. With rousing lyrics inciting change and action in the face of injustice, MUSE resonates with today's generation.

Concert highlights? The rousing Uprising was the perfect opener, and Time is Running Out was a hard rocking highlight. Crowd fave was the radio hit Starlight where lead singer Matthew Bellammy handed over vocal duties to the audience who knew the chorus word for word. My favorite was the riff-pounding Hysteria.

Even from our nosebleed seats you can feel the energy. People rocking out, moving and singing along from all levels. I almost forgot the rush you get from watching a live performance, that beyond the music and the visual experience, the crowd reaction and being a part of the excitement is what takes a good performance to the next level. It becomes...spellbinding.



First Training Session

I'm proud to say, the hubs and I made it through our first hurdle--running our first training session. We ran the two miles from our house to the nearby race track and park where we ran another round. It was tough, especially tough on the hubby who complained of sore joints and an aching back. On the other hand, I was feeling good, and I might have been able to go another mile if I hadn't reminded myself that this was my first run in a long time and to take it easy.
I haven't quite convinced the hubby to run the marathon with me ("That's crazy talk!" he says when I bring it up) but he's willing to run and exercise more since his usually lean and lanky physique has gotten somewhat rounder in recent months (insert gut here).
Considering recommended training schedules for beginners recommend running two miles three times a week for the first week, I think I'm doing well. We'll see how I fare in the coming months!

Adventures in the Kitchen #1

No, this is not strictly a food blog, but from my latest posts, I suppose it would seem so. Yes, food is a big part of my life and I will always celebrate it on this bloggie blog. But I intend there to be much more discussed here other than my culinary adventures. But with no job at the moment, I've been spending a lot of time in the kitchen, which I tell myself to appreciate. When -- note when -- I find a job, I won't have the time to explore and cook new recipes as much as I've been doing now. So, each week, I'll keep weekly updates on the different dishes I'll try in the kitchen, and I'm enjoying every minute of it!

1. Longanisa - A sweet and somewhat spicy pork sausage. It's typical Filipino breakfast or merienda food. Cooking Longanisa is...interesting.  Simmer the links in an inch of water until the water has dried and then fry the links in its own juices, fat and sugar that have oozed onto the pan. Sure, your pan takes a merciless beating (expect a cake of burnt sugar to form), but the results are worth it. Just be sure you have a sturdy sponge on hand.

2. Chicken Parmesan - With 2 pounds of boneless chicken thighs in the freezer, I needed a chicken dish. Wandering Chopsticks was again my go-to recipe site, and although the recipe calls for chicken breasts rather than thighs, this turned out just fine. Family loved it, although I'd like to cook real Italian food someday. I can imagine all the true Italian chefs out there curling their lips at my corrupted take on Italian cuisine -- canned Prego and melted Parmesan cheese, and presto! I have chicken parmesan! Please forgive me, I'm poor and somewhat lazy.

3. Chicken Afritada - I'm feeling a lot like Iron Chef right now. My mother-in-law gave us a bag of potatoes and now I must figure out what I'm going to do with them. The first recipe that came to mind was chicken afritada. Or ah-pree-tah-dah, as Pinoys call it because they can't pronounce their f's. It's one of my favorite comfort foods. Unfortunately, this didn't come out exactly as I wanted...I only had boneless chicken breasts on hand and the chicken was somewhat dry. Alas, you win some, you lose some.

3. Chicken and zucchini stirfry - Sorry I don't have a photo of this one. Maybe I was sooo disappointed with the color and look of this dish that I decided that a photo would do a great disservice to it, since it was actually pretty tasty. I used dark soy sauce because that's all that we had (recipe calls for just regular soy sauce) and boy...did it make my stirfry dark!  I don't think you could make out the zucchini or the mushrooms I put in it because they all looked like dark brown pieces of meat. Why is it that food seems to taste better the morning after you cook your food?

4. Itailian breaded porkchops and potato salad - I don't have a picture of my porkchops...it was gone, just like that! I thought there'd be some left over after dinner for my usual photo shoot, but nope, none left. I suppose it's a good sign when the family gets seconds...and thirds and fourths. But I did have some potato salad left over to take a photo of that. I had to double up on the measurements and I added green peas and a sprinkle of paprika for more color.

The "Olympic" fig leaf

In my first post, I referred to the symbolic fig tree in Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar. Each fig represented some life dream the main character Esther wanted to accomplish. One of the dreams was becoming an Olympic champion, a dream that I know is unrealistic for me considering that I'm out of shape and over-the-hill at 30, compared to Olympic athletes who've trained since emerging out of the womb.

But there's an Olympic-like feat I know I want to accomplish before I get too old and rickety.

That goal?

I want to run a full marathon. I want to complete a 26-mile race. I wouldn't be doing it for a particular time, I just want to run the entire thing at my own pace without stopping.

For some, that's an easy task, but for me -- the kind of gal who was never into sports -- it's a huge, Herculean feat. Growing up, my sisters all had ribbons and trophies from their days on swim teams, and I never contributed to the awards case that sat proudly in display in our home. Now, I want to prove to myself that I can push my body to accomplish something I never thought I could.

I did run a half-marathon once almost three years ago in Phoenix, Arizona for the Rock N' Roll Half Marathon, and the 13 miles was excruciating. I thought that would be my life's "Olympic" feat...but that was only half of the big one. The big daddy. The real Olympic event. I've always wondered...what if I could accomplish that one?

Yep, that's me with my medal after finishing the Phoenix half marathon in 2007.

So, while I look for a job, I'm in need of another goal. The hubby wants to get in shape and start running and I think this would be an excellent goal to work towards together.

The date? That would be March 20, 2011, The LA Marathon.

With about six months to go, I need to get cracking on training. There's Team in Training, an organization that helps you train while you raise funds for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society...but it's a huge commitment. You have hit thousands of dollars in donations, and if you don't...you pay the difference. Ouch! It's a great organization though...and I'm still contemplating if I have the time. I do now, but who knows how busy I'll be when I do find a job and trying to train in the meantime.

Tonight, the hubs and I will take on our first jog. The goal for today's workout? Two miles.
Baby steps. Baby steps.

Fingers crossed

 Source

Interview for a jobbie job. 

Focus. Focus. Focus.

Finding Filipino identity through food

As a Filipino-American, I'm familiar with topics on Filipino identity and discovery. I'm accustomed to the dialogue that goes along with it -- the yearning to learn more about our little-known or recognized history, the desire to hold onto dying traditions and languages, the generational divide between Americanized Filipino youth and their immigrant parents. As a college student rediscovering my own ethnic heritage, I clamored for all things Filipino-centric, looking for things that were "genuine" and even contemplated an "authentic" Filipino tribal tattoo on my back. The irony was that the tribal tattoo was as foreign to me as any other non-Pinoy, and even to my own immediate ancestors -- none of whom most likely,  I would later gather, bore tribal tattoos.

My name in ancient Filipino script

Pinay-pride Guess heels

But it didn't matter, because I was growing to love all things Filipino, where in the past I had grown to be ashamed of it. It was liberating and exciting, and that time in my life was indeed a learning and growing experience. Now, that I'm a little older, I no longer care to have a Filipino tribal tattoo on my back (or any tattoo for that matter), and my cravings for all things Pinoy-centric has calmed down. I no longer romanticize the culture, but I continue to have respect and honor for my own heritage. I can say that I am proudly Filipino and I can enjoy my identity as a Filipino-American without feeling that I am either confined or completely defined by it.

Wow, didn't know San Pedro can be quite pretty!

This past weekend, we attended the Philippine Arts and Culture Festival in Pt. Fermin Park in San Pedro. There was Filipino art galore, novelty items like the ever-present giant wooden fork and spoon that hangs in nearly every Filipino household (yes, growing up, there was a pair in our home), booths on ancient Filipino medicine and arts, traditional performances and food...oh, yes the food.

While I love Filipino arts, celebrating community and a good tinikling, I would be lying if I didn't say the main reason for me to go to this annual festival multiple times is for its food. Filipino food is home to me. While there are more celebrated and refined cuisines in this world, my personal love is Filipino food. It signifies mom, family, gatherings, love and celebration. And I can rarely pass up an opportunity to relive it all.

While scoping out the different food vendors, we settled on White Rabbit, a Filipino-fusion food truck. With LA's Korean-Mexican fusion truck Kogi gaining legions of customers through it ingenious Twitter marketing campaign, I'm seeing a whole new crop of the Asian-inspired roach coaches.

The White Rabbit food truck

Novelty idea? A shortlived fad? I dunno. But I loved that I could order a meal of sisig on the go.

Pork sisig

Sisig is a simple, but tasty melange of pork bits and crunchy grinds, jalepeno, garlic and onions. Doesn't sound particularly pleasing, but my taste buds love it. That's the thing with much of Filipino cuisine. We take what most would consider rudimentary, simple or just plain crap and make it golden. 

 
The hubs ordered a sample of their Filipino tacos-one with pork tocino, one with bistek (Filipino beef steak), and another with chicken adobo. Maybe I'm just too much of a purist when it comes to Filipino food, but putting these three flavors in a taco is just a little too far off the grid for me. It's like french fries. Sure, you can put it with salt and vinegar, maybe even mayonaise. But it's best with ketchup, and to someone raised on Mickey D's kids meals, it's almost blasphemous with anything else.

My sister's Spam and Egg slider from the Manila Machine

My sister chose a spam and egg slider at the Manila Machine, another Filipino food truck. One of it's owners is the writer of one of my favorite food blogs, Burnt Lumpia. With a slice of fried egg, spam and a little banana ketchup in between a fluffy pieces of pan de sal, this tiny, almost-bitesized sandwich is pure Filipino goodness.

My ube and red bean ice cream bar

To cap off our Filipino cuisine sampling, we bought some ice cream. I stuck with ube, a type of purple sweet yam that's a mainstay in much of Filipino desserts. As most know, Pinoys love their purple stuff. My ube ice cream bar was filled with red bean. Each bite reminded me of frozen halo halo (without the coconut).

After maxing out our money on food and Pinoy memorabilia, we called it a day. Now, what to do with my new pair of oversized fork and spoon? No, just kidding, haven't gone there yet. ;)

Zooey Deschanel and Joseph Gordon-Levitt - Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?

 

I love Zooey Deschanel. I'd have to say, if I wasn't so sure of my heterosexuality, then I'd look for a Zooey look-alike. Same quirky style, same silky voice that belongs on a retro mod 60s record. Yup. Thankfully, I've already found my life partner and I'm content to listen to Zooey on my iPod (Mmmhhmm, we go by a first name basis). 

My sister recently introduced me to Zooey's singing work with her band She & Him, and I'm hooked. I especially love the above video she made with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, her co-star in 500 Days of Summer. What a cute dancing couple these two make! Of course, I already had an inkling Zooey was a great singer with her duet with Will Ferrell in Elf. Classic.

Baseball cravings

You will soon know that the hubby and I are Lakers fans true and true. Our wedding colors were, yes, purple and gold.

But baseball...I'd rather watch the highlights on ESPN.

Our friend had four free tickets to see the Angels vs. Mariners at an Angels home game in Anaheim. So we joined him in some pretty good seats near the action.

But really, what's an ambivalent baseball spectator like me to do during nine slow innings?

What else? Eat!

Now, I'm not overly excited about overpriced food.

The Angel Dog was like any other hot dog and our nachos were--at $8-- the most I've ever spent on processed cheese.

Quite disappointing...

But what did I expect? Gourmet food?

Just as I about to write off this baseball outing as an uneventful evening in sports and stadium cuisine (the game dragged on for 14 innings), something wonderful happened.

Our friend's cousin tipped us off on the most amazing cheddar fries ever...ok, maybe amazing is a stretch but after our overpriced meal of hotdog and nachos, this mound of carb goodness had our taste buds dancing.

sour cream cheddar fries

chilli fries

Golden, crispy, oozing with cheese and whatever unhealthy topping you want. Better tasting and the better deal at $4.50. But they're a little hard to find. Head past the the food vendors, near the smoking section and you'll find a stand selling them. Still can't find them, ask someone and they'll know what you mean.

So, if you don't catch a homerun ball, these cheddar fries might be your next best thing!

Remembering "The Day"

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I was rushing to get ready for class.

Dammit. I overslept again.

I headed toward the door of our dorm apartment when my roommate came rushing out of her room with a phone in her hand.

"Oh, my God!" She kept saying over and over again. "My mom called. A plane crashed into the Word Trade Center! There's no more building! It's gone!"

Whatever does she mean? No more World Trade Center? That's the tallest building in the world! She's always exaggerating. Silly girl.

I head to class. It's unusually sunny. The morning air is crisp. I even remember that birds were singing. Even as I rush to class, I remember that random detail. Everything seems peaceful. Like the most perfect morning.

I expect the class to be in full swing when I arrive. I hope to sneak into a chair in the back when the professor's back is turned.

As I walk in, the professor is sitting on the edge of her seat. Solemn. Everyone is quiet. The silence strikes me like running into a great wall.

The aid hands me a copy of a newswire report. I slowly sit down in my chair as the headline screams, "US Attacked, Hijacked jets destroy twin towers and hit Pentagon in day of terror."

I can't believe it. Even with a photo of dazed people covered in ash retreating from the World Trade Center site, I still can't believe it.

Some people in the classroom are in tears. Most are just like me, stunned.

The professor begins talking. We need to let out our feelings. Let's talk about it, she says. I don't hear much of what is said, until someone behind me says something about religion.

"It's things like this that makes me wonder why we even have religion," he says. "Religion has never done this world any good. It's started wars, murdered a lot of people, and this is just another example. When I think of Islam, I don't think of peace. I think of war. I don't understand why people would even adhere their lives to such hate."

I don't know what makes me raise my hand. Nothing has ever compelled me to speak in that class before. Early in my college years, I was much more shy than I am now. But something he said spurred all of my emotions of sadness, anger and fear. I'm griefstricken for all those who've died. I'm angry that people would be filled with such hate to do such an evil thing. I'm scared that someone can do that to me, to someone I love. I feel my fellow student's hurt. But I have to say something.

"Religion is not to blame," I say. "We can't blame religion for someone's misinterpretation of it. Islam calls for peace, not hatred. I believe that all faiths calls for love and understanding of one's neighbor. I am not Muslim, I'm Catholic. I don't attend mass every Sunday, but religion has been a big part of my life. It's enriched it, my core values of understanding, compassion and love have been developed through my religious background. I can't fault an entire religion because of the radical views of a few. But it's just tragic, so tragic, that those few can do so much harm."

Nine years later, the news runs images of Islamic extremists making new terrorizing threats. I see the horrific images and the agonizing accounts that continue to burn into our memories. I see a Christian church in Florida calling for a Quran burning. There are two groups with angry eyes and words pitted against each other not too far from where two towers fell to the ground.

There are times that I have to remind myself of what I had the courage to say in that classroom nine years ago.

I made meat lasagna...but don't call me Joan Cleaver

If you read my blog long enough you'll notice that I love food and I love to cook. Whether or not I'm a good cook is up for debate. My husband always says he loves what I cook, but I have a sneaky suspicion that if I served him a dish with flies hovering over it, he'd declare it my best dish ever.
OK, I'm not bad. I think most of what I cook, I actually like myself.

Still, even if I doubt my actual cooking abillities, I love to try a new recipe. With time on my hands and the fact that no one in my house cooks, I have been on a cooking spree.

Last night, I made meat lasagna from scratch (nope, no Stovetop this time). I've always wanted to try this recipe because it looked so easy peasy...and it was!

My first attempt at meat lasagna (Personal Photo)

I used a meat lasagna recipe from one of my favorite food blogs, Wandering Chopsticks. It was a hit with the family and everyone said they loved it. It actually was pretty good!

One interesting note about this recipe is that WC says you don't have to cook the lasagna noodles before you bake it. I tried that, and when you first eat it after cooking, the noodles are definitely cooked...al dente, but cooked. When the noodles soak the sauce overnight, they become much softer.

In the future, I think I might modify the recipe a little with less meat (I ended up using much more than what was called for because I wanted to get rid of all the ground meat we had), less riccota cheese and more mozzarella.

As an avid tweeter, I had been updating my friends on my latest kitchen adventures. One teasingly remarked that it seemed I had become "little miss Joan Cleaver" since I had gotten married a month ago.

The remark made me uncomfortable. True, since I'm not working, much of my day is doing what housewives usually do and I love to cook. But I refuse to be seen as a housewife. I am not Joan Cleaver.

In my younger years, I used to diss the idea of being a housewife. I couldn't understand why you'd want to stay home all day. I thought being a stay-at-home wife and mother was so boring. Now, I understand why a woman would choose to dedicate her life to her family...I respect and honor it. I love, love, love my husband. We both want children someday, and I know my family comes before anything...but cooking, cleaning and taking care of a home is not what defines me.

So just because I'm married now and I like to cook for my husband, doesn't mean I'm Joan Cleaver. Don't label me with that stereotype, please. I'm much more than that. Much more. 

My First Post

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So here it is, my first post...

I had been contemplating what this blog will be all about, and with a background in communications and journalism, I pondered long and hard on how I would sell it. A travel blog? A food blog? A books blog? Pop culture? Mindless ramble?

How about all of the above?

I know not having a specific niche won't find me legions of followers, but for this blog, it's ok...because in truth, I'm writing this blog for my main audience...which is myself. Anyone else who has the patience to follow the personal musings of a newly thirty-something wife can come along for the ride.

I named this blog as an ode to one of my favorite novels, The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. There's a section that goes something like this:

"I saw my life branching out before me like the green fig tree in the story. From the tip of every branch, like a fat purple fig, a wonderful future beckoned and winked. One fig was a husband and a happy home and children, and another fig was a famous poet and another fig was a brilliant professor, and another fig was Ee Gee, the amazing editor, and another fig was Europe and Africa and South America, and another fig was Constantin and Socrates and Attila and a pack of other lovers with queer names and offbeat professions, and another fig was an Olympic lady crew champion, and beyond and above these figs were many more figs I couldn't quite make out. I saw myself sitting in the crotch of this fig tree, starving to death, just because I couldn't make up my mind which of the figs I would ...choose. I wanted each and every one of them, but choosing one meant losing all the rest, and, as I sat there, unable to decide, the figs began to wrinkle and go black, and, one by one, they plopped to the ground at my feet. "

Which fig did I choose?

I chose them all. OK, maybe not the fig with lovers with queer names or even the one with the Olympic crew champion...although I hope to have my own "Olympic" feat someday...

In my younger years (my single, twentysomethings), I lived life without much care to the future. I lived for the moment, I traveled to exotic places on my own, I was a journalist and an editor, writing stories on everyday heroes, covering celebs and going to parties, and I earned my Master's degree. Now, I'm 30, I recently married the love of my life and I'm at a crossroads.

Like millions of other Americans, I'm unemployed, looking for work and trying to live life despite not having a professional life to identify with at the moment.

I used to think life slowed down at 30. Once you were married and had kids...that was it. Say so long to life, to adventure...

But I'm not done eating the figs under my tree. There is more to my future.

So join me as I taste every pleasure in life and encounter the ones that are hard to swallow. Because life does not end at 30.

As Anthony Bourdain would say, "I'm hungry for more!"