Prepping For Monday Sermon

i love love words!

via pinterest

Equilibrium

i love love stories!

For about twenty four months now, I have been a girlfriend to a boyfriend. And while we sort of have mutually agreed to never display any form of public cheesiness especially in the curious space that is the internet (as if we are famous, haha), I hope to make an exception in this post. Only because we ate the best oysters in town served in a plate full of salt that deserve to be written about and oh the cheese - - haha! Just Kidding. Hello, 24 months is a milestone! He and I are both alike and different at the same time. How is that even possible? I do not know really how to illustrate that. But may I share what his being in my life means to me.

Back in 2007 when I was still a college senior, the cool kids from our Yearbook committee made us complete the statement: "I reached my equilibrium point when...". While I was itching to write down "I reached my equilibrium point when I passed Math 17 with flying colors --- the second time I took it", I decided it wouldn't really look cool in the sea of promising cum laudes. So I wrote down instead, "I have yet to reach my equilibrium point". Honesty has always been the best policy.

It did not really happen right away but as days progress with us being an "US", I realized I have found someone who rolled me right into my equilibrium point without asking anything in return. The hanky to my tears. The shrink to my nightmares. The Dolfenal to my PMS. He pulls me back to my sanity whenever the craziness of this world overwhelms me. He is my Mr. Big Aidan to my Carrie Bradshaw. Only we take the MRT, not the limo. I hope I make him just as happy! :)

Back to the oysters. We took a break from our usual breakfast dates and had dinner over candle light (naks!) in Taste of LA in Quezon City. I tried my best to be all dainty and fragile but the oyster in creamed spinach, bacon and cheese and the prichon and the blue marlin paired with mashed potato and asparagus brought out the natural construction worker in me. Extra rice please!! :)

Stay in love! :)

A Taste of L.A. Cafe

Roces Avenue, Brgy. Laging Handa, 

Quezon City

Gypsya

i love love patterns!

My future fabulous home will be adorned with these lovely pillows.  Pillowcases are from the beautiful collection of Gypsya. Cotton Prints, handmade, hand stitched, paper cut-like in ikat and other over the top patterns with mishmash of colors they remind me of my Moroccan dreams! 

 

Farmer's Market

i love love markets!

a before nine entry

time check: 06:14 am

Yesterday, we prepared our own breakfast! We took a break from scouting breakfast spots and decided to create our own "breakfast spot" in our Quezon City apartment. Oh, I cannot believe we haven't tried this sooner. You see, I am lousy with things which involve the hands (except for typing, haha!) - cutting, drawing, sewing, cooking, etc.; I think I am crafty in thoughts but not in deeds. :p Preparation of food and then the actual cooking intimidate me thus I'd much rather be the recipient of this beautiful process than be involved in it. But yesterday, I decided to finally get over this lousiness and weakness and face my fears. It's now or never. Do or die. Make or break. Haha! The next step after finally deciding which recipe to execute is of course, to shop for ingredients. I am tired of air conditioned groceries and pre-packed goodies thus we went to the real thing - the market! And because I live near Cubao, the obvious choice is the grandfather of all markets in Quezon City, the Farmer's Market.

My fascination with markets started with Neil Oshima's photos of all the markets in the world featured in a magazine (I can't remember if it's Rogue or Esquire). In the write up showcasing Oshima's photography, markets were described to be the microcosm of a particular country. You want to soak in all the culture of a place? Get a quick fix from its market. I have been to the souks in Dubai and I affirm this claim on markets. They are fascinating. The most alive "place" in the world. A mix of noise, smell, aroma, taste, feelings, commerce, routine and... - you can think of just about any word and for sure, it will find its perfect place in the basket of words to describe markets. Another wonderful thing about markets? They are at their best in the MORNING (except for night markets of course, haha, ang pilosospo). Products are freshest. Sellers gentler and kinder. Consumers have more bargaining power employing the buena mano magic. We woke up before 6:00 am, splashed cold water on our faces and went straight to Farmer's Market. People around me may think I am crazy jumping and clapping my hands. I was that excited. Seriously.

When the alarm sounded that Saturday morning, 5:30 am to be exact, my willpower was weakened due to the "luxury" of a soft mattress, a chilly morning comforted by a blanket, a body too tired from the five-day work week thus deserving of a longer snooze time. It is not fair to wake up this early on a Saturday, I thought. Being in the market erased all that thought, not only because of the excitement I felt with spending my morning in a place so alive even when the sun has barely risen but more so, the industry and perseverance of the people whose main source of income is anchored in the presence of a community market are infectious. This is not something a grocery and air-conditioned retailers can ever EVER replace. I think I learned a lot from my short trip to Farmer's. That Filipinos are industrious. That markets are indeed colorful. And aromatic. That we should be more vigilant with the people running this country (MOST people need to work hard for their everyday living - I think those in the senate and in the congress need this kind of field trip). You know the petition to make the public officials take public transport? Let's do another petition to make them work in wet markets, GARDEMET*! That asparagus is a pretty vegetable. :D

Hey you, good morning!

*Gar-de-met (expression): ilocano version of "God, damn it" as popularized by my dearest father. haha!