Foot and Fire

             Who can still recall the small sour-sweet pitted fruit that has the taste and texture of starfruit or  balimbing?   This one almost slipped my mind if not for the local expression (among Hiligaynon-speaking in the Philippines), " daw bangkiling ang imo balhas" which translates to "your sweat looks like sour gooseberry."  Since we have a local word for it, I believe " bangkiling " is a native fruit here in the Visayas. When I was a child, I ate it plain or with salt. Its taste just tickled the tip of my tongue as I was trying hard to recall its local name. Photos below are grabbed from the web. Ownership reverts to respective owners.

Anna. She lifted her coffee cup, swayed her pinkie away from it, made a sound with her lips. She lifted her gaze, and she saw him looking at her. She saw the most painful thing: He is turned off by her physical being. Vronsky. She lifted her hand, made a sound with her lips, she extended the little finger. Fancy habits that he found charming in her then. In fact, he still does. Notwithstanding her jealousy, her fears, he still loves her. She thinks he no longer does. That's her tragedy.

Dear Handyman By Gerlie M. Uy Dear Handyman: I see you in this season's blinking lights: The last time, you wanted me to decorate your room, and instead of a pine tree, I churned out Mt. Kanlaon. You said it's my call so it's fine. I hear you in the carols: The last time, you bought all season's Cds in the music store because you would play them everyday. I taste you in the matured coco vinegar: The last ones, you placed in all glass bottles to mature. I can feel you in times of aloneness: The last time, you were in the white-walled room sipping the aloe juice as your last taste of luxury. I think of you in the frozen yogurt you were delightful about because it tastes like ice cream. I will always see you in the miracle plant once planted in a black bag we last bought at the store together. I will remember you in the pails of water, (You gathered them then from every drop from our faucet) in every nail an...

The Spoliarium at the National Museum It is huge and still in good condition given that it was made in 1884, and what is more delightful is that we can actually come closer to this national treasure at the National Museum. Being able to get close to the Spoliarium is a warm welcome to every Filipino who has the heart and interest to see for real a national patrimony.  On the left side are the spectators who wanted to loot the dead gladiators while on the center, the dead gladiators are pulled up like animals devoid of human dignity and on the right side, a woman is bent and evidently crying over a dead gladiator. A man holding a lamp is also seen on the background. The gladiator represents the Philippines while the looters are those who deny freedom to our country. The woman represents our mother country while the man represents our heroes' enlightenment and seeking for freedom.    Yes, the subject Spoliarium is reflective of a Spanish culture since it is t...

For Matrimonial Purposes Kavita Daswani Penguin, 2003, 277 pages Fiction This novel was loaned to me by a good friend who shares my interest with anything Eastern. I read this long before I finished the first one I borrowed from her, We want to live here, an exchange of letters between Israeli and Palestinian teenage girls. But I'm glad that I decided to pick it up. I was inspired to pick it up maybe after reading proposals and marriges the Afgani way in a memoir, The Bookseller of Kabul, where the men gives dowry to women's family. In this novel, I learned that the family of the Indian woman spends lavishly for the wedding and gives dowry to the groom. But the same thing as the Afghans, the family agrees and makes proposals and conducts the marriage ceremony within a short period. Afghans are mostly Muslim while Indians are mostly Hindus but the similarity can be pointed out as regards marriage and women in finding their husbands. In both culture, women can be marrie...

Habang Wala Pa Sila: Mga Tula ng Pag-ibig By Juan Miguel Severo Abs-cbn Publishing Inc, 2016 Poetry with illustrations, 120 pages I never heard him yet doing his spoken poetry but when I opened the first few pages, he got me by first impression with his Basang Sapatos, he likened the heaviness of losing a love with the heaviness of his steps when his shoes are wet. Plus maybe, it's rainy season so I bought and read this collection. "Anak, nagmahal ka. Dapat masanay ka nang maglakad nang may mabigat na paa."  There are "trying hard" attempts in some pieces like in Naniniwala Ako, Maliwanag ang Langit, Malamig ang Gabi, and Parating Huli but Severo got me fully in a surprising number of pieces like in Bago Ka Umalis ng Bahay and Karaoke. While I understand that his pieces are meant to be heard as a tale, I didn't get bored with the length or by some Filipino words I just met. Most of the time, I smile and breeze through the reading as heart...

The Bookseller of Kabul Asne Sierstad Paperback, 276 pages Virago, 2004 Kabul is in Afghanistan and Mikrorayon is the hometown of our bookseller. When Journalist-author Asne Sierstad came to buy books from Sultan Khan after she joined the army operations for days searching for news, she became interested to the life lived by the man whose hopes is to build a huge library after the war ends. Sultan Khan had dedicated his life salvaging books in the name of Afghani literature and culture, and in the process, he was able to save some old books from wherever source. But keeping the books safe from illiterate soldiers who burn anything with living things on the cover or anything that seems immoral is a challenge that could even mean his liberty and life.  This extraordinary passion led the author to turn more stones and she proposed to live with the household of Sultan Khan. She was able to live with the Khans for four months and the resulting tale reveals a portrait of an Af...

Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert softbound, 334 pages Memoir, Penguin, 2006 It is hard to start reading a book when one has a slight negative prejudice towards it. Before I saw the movie, I already skimmed a few pages of it in a bookstore and I was turned off by the very idea that the author wanted to avoid: Another tale of prozac-filled brain in a cold urban jungle of New York City by a woman who divorced her husband and a society filled with sexual permissiveness but devoid of spiritual warmth. As a starter, I really hated too much anxiety-filled drama so that I did not decide to read this one then. But I came to read it this June and I am glad I was ready for it. It was a delightful read as it tackles a personal spiritual journey (or I must say, journey towards selfhood). I got her now than when I was skimming the book in my 20s. There is a point in our lives when we are faced with a question whether we made a right decision all along or just tagged along the linear dicta...

The Translator A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur By Daoud Hari Hardbound, 179 pages,  204 pages with appendices Darfur is in Sudan. Published in 2008, this book is recommended for those who simply love personal narratives. For those interested in international politics, this is also a good background on Sudan's socio-political history. But worry not; Daoud's distinct voice is not lost in the translation. His honesty and integrity shine forth all throughout the book. This is tragedy, yes. But it is a tragedy told by a compassionate, committed and courageous man. He has the capacity to encapsulate in simple paragraph seething subjects and he can wield a good humor despite how grim the situation is. A very easy breezy read despite the heaviness of the subject and I warn you, this is an entertaining one too. Further, I appreciated the Darfur Primer as appendix 1 as it summarized the socio-political state of Sudan, very educational. This memoir appeals to the world t...

Time is relative. Entering Casa Mariquit is like being transported to the late 19th century and early 20th century. Located just a little walk from Biscocho Haus in Jaro and with Lunok Tree as the corner landmark, this heritage house has an intact brick facade with wooden veranda in good condition upstairs. Upon entering, one is welcomed by the caretaker who will act as the tour guide as he is also the curator and framer as well as the securty guard of the property. We posed beside the portrait of Former Vice President Fernando Lopez and the caretaker informed us that it is a Manansala rendition. The house is not big but it houses some pretty interesting memorabilia like the symbolic keys to the city and lighters housed in a photo frame and a steel plane which also serves as paperweight. The polaroid cameras displayed are also functioning as well as the 116-year-old grandfather clock. What I liked most about this house is that it still has good wooden floors and furnitures. Time see...

CAMOTES Island has been pinned in my travel list for a long time already. The travel advisories from different embassies directed to many tourist destinations in Visayas immediately before our travel date scared me, but in the long run, my itchy feet prevailed. Squeezed after a work-related convention in Cebu, a two-day escapade was just a perfect fit. Why Camotes Island? Listen, the sound of its name alone evokes a laidback rustic white sandy beach scenario free from intruding crowd. I am happy to feedback that the reality of Camotes was as genuinely exciting as the planning stage. We went running around on her white sand beaches, basked under the summer sun, and discovered her torquise blue waters at the Santiago Bay, Bakhaw Beach and Tulang Diot Islet. In Santiago bay, we just walked along her long shore lined with white sand as we were there on a sunset, and observed the sea urchins and sea cucmbers. In Bakhaw, we soaked ourselves in gusto to her crystal clear sa...

Half kilo native chicken Onions Bellpepper Ginger Coco water of 2 coconuts (about 2 L) 3 Potatoes, cubed Coco meat Salt and pepper to taste. Boil the chicken until tender with minimal water. Add ginger, onion, bellpepper and coco water. Simmer, then add poataoes and coco meat. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Serve hot with rice on the side.

2 eggyolks 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup canola oil 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar Salt and sugar to taste Turmeric or mustard (optional) In a blender, process the yolks. Add the oil a little at a time while processing. Add the vinegar and salt and sugar to taste. Add turmeric or mustard. Continue processing in the blender until consistency is thick (not runny). Keep refrigerated.

500g ground beef 6 pcs carrots, chopped 1 sayote, chopped 2 big potatoed, chopped Celery, chopped 6 cloves garlic, chopped 2 onions, chopped Salt, pepper, and soy sauce Oatmeal 2 big Cabbage heads Toothpick Dip: Soy sauce Calamansi Mix all chopped vegetables. Add salt, pepper and soy sauce to taste. Add oatmeal in small amount at a time, just enough to bind the mixture. Scoop the mixture and place in the cabbage leaf, fold and secure with toothpick. Repeat last procedure until the mixture is used up. Ready the steamer with boiling water. Place the cabbage parcel and steam for 2p minutes. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks Rebecca Skloot,  Paperback, 313 pages 2010 Broadway Paperbacks When we hear the names of pills that cure, we usually do not ask how it came to be. We are simply not interested or have no time to research. We are simply hopeful with the promises of cure, and continue with our struggle to get cured. This may be perhaps because pills' names are not based on the name of a person who has contributed to its formulation. Science wanted to appear scientific which often translates to precision, disinterest and . In this book, the tissue sample taken from the cervix of Henrietta Lacks was named HeLa and she was identified as a woman who eventually died of cervical cancer in 1951 at the age of 31. This footnote in science textbooks and discussions is the springboard of author Rebecca Skloot to ask who is that woman. It eventually became a personal mission for her to know more. Hela was called "immortal" because the first tiss...

Olive oil Garlic cloves 200g ripe tomatoes, chopped 200g bellpepper, chopped 100g celery Salt and pepper Cheese (optional) Reserved water from boiled pasta Tuna in oil Boil angel hair pasta for 2.5 minutes. Set aside. Reserve water. Saute vegetables in olive oil.  Add reserved water and the oil from tuna. Simmer till vegetables are tender to your liking. Adjust taste with salt and pepper. Add tuna and olive oil. Remove from fire and serve hot over angel hair pasta.

Half of native chicken Ginger 2L Young Coconut water (buko juice) 2 large potatoes, cubed Young coconut meat (buko) Salt and pepper Boil native chicken till tender and water is reduced. Add the coco water and ginger and bring to boil. Add potatoes and pepper. Continue to boil until potatoes are tender. Add salt and pepper. Serve with rice.

To the Stealers of Rembrandts Gerlie Uy (c) 2017 Come on. Not that you admired the fine strokes of his brushes, the thickness of his lines and old paints, or the subtleness of his curves all under the control of his disciplined pulse. Come on. Not that you fathomed the different portraits that he journalled, the landscapes he captured, or the mundane events made extraordinary by him all many events and centuries ago. Come on. Not that you related well in the darkness casted with light, in the plainliness made special, or in the expression of a fearful or watchful eyes in every framed work of art. Come on. You should understand that stealing his work not simply a crime against property, but a heavy crime against all of us: stealing his work seals my chance to see it; You owe that too to your future grandkins.  Come on. You should know by now: a stolen Rembrandts has no ready clean buyers, and everyone wants it back, even...

Last 24 March 2017, I released a collection of poems called The Watch to mark the 1st death anniversary of my father. I thought it would be all. I was wrong. He visited me in my dream on the morning of his cremation a year ago. I have to compose something about it. Here it is: Freeing  (Good Morning Tay, 3/30/2017) Today, a year ago, your body left us. I remembered because you woke me up after your short visit in my sleep. I was reminded: You left as a free man, free from all kinds of pain and free from the burden of worrying all reserved for the living. Your body left to become dust in that chamber after your spirit just flew away with the air. And now that you are dust; you will just be around. Unimposing, but there. Thank you for reminding me today that you are a free man from this worldly affairs of existing, of living. Thank you for reminding me today That I am a free woman.

1kl boiled potatoes, quartered 1/2kl boiled sweet potatoes, cubed 2 heads chopped red onions 1 cup mayonnaise Ground black pepper Salt to taste Dried herbs or fresh chives Mix all ingredients in a big bowl. Serve chilled. 

We Just Want To Live Here A Palestinian Teenager, An Israeli Teenager – An Unlikely Friendship Amal Rifa'i and Odelia Ainbinder with Sylke Tempel St. Martin Griffin US ed. 2003, 153 pages I Am Khan 2010 Bollywood Movie With English Subtitle I picked up the book loaned to me by a good friend thinking I could finish it in one setting but I was wrong and I ended up reading the same in installments. The thin book can actually be read in installment without losing one's way considering it is a moderated exchange of letters. A topic is given and the girls exchange their thoughts on matters such as Talking About Myself, Thinking About the other, Intifada, Travel, Jerusalem, School, The army, and How I become what I am. Along the way, the exchange between the girls becomes an invitation to review the Middle East conflict and to peep to the wishes and dreams of common people who lived their lives caught up in conflicts. Yes, the title sums up everything: We just wan...

We, as women lawyers, condemn the blatant and gruesome killing of Atty. Mia Manuelita Mascariñas-Green whose assailants are still on the run. Hence, we feel that as practicing women lawyers who are also nurturing mothers and sisters just like Atty. Green, we need to openly renew our commitment to our profession, to uphold lawfulness and Justice, and to speak to the Green children on the danger of hatred and the importance of forgiveness.    TO THE LEGAL COMMUNITY. During her lifetime, Atty. Green is not known to us personally or professionally but as her fellow lawyers who have been unconditionally defending every man's Constitutional right to due process, we cannot help but express our protestation to this inhuman, uncivilized and unjustified killing by the assailants (and their mastermind), which only perpetuate the culture of impunity. However, despite this personal protestations and constantly living with this kind of professional hazard, we want to assure the legal ...

A Book of Secrets: Illegitimate Daughters, Absent Fathers Michael Holroyd Nonfiction, Picador, 2012 (First Publication 2010) Paperback, 264 pages This one is out of my usual book menu. But I always welcome a little change. With this one, I thought I will be reading more of Rodin but I ended up reading about “scandals” of the royalties like reading an intriguing novel. Holroyd has the lyrical rhythm as well as sincere and inquiring tone that made me proceed. I was about to ditch this one early on because the print is so small (But there were two prior publications in Great Britain and US which you can pick up instead of this one). But since I am into Italy right now, I got hold of this book because the book is also inspired by Villa Cimbrone which is located in Ravello, an Italian village. Holroyd's interest started from the time he saw an Eve Fairfax bust scupture by Rodin, but it turned out that the Eve Fairfax-Rodin link became a mere jump off of his research on...

The Dressmaker of Khair Khana Gayle Tzemach Lemmon Nonfiction, Harper, 2011 Paperback, 243 pages Khair Khana is in Afghanistan, a country known to me as war-torn and the place where Osama Bin Laden was killed. That is the macro picture. But this book gave me a micro shot of Afghanistan through the story of Kamil and her sisters. Fresh from reading a memoir called Reading Lolita in Tehran, I still have the full grasp on how women were treated when the Mujahideen (holy warriors) are running the Muslim country. Both events narrated in Reading Lolita and the times when the Dressmaker of Khair Khana was established happened in the 1990s and both stories were born out of the fact that women in these two Muslim country were suddenly limited in their clothing and space. This book chronicles the triumph of the human spirit in times of adversity, specifically that of a woman during the precarious times. When suddenly the times changed in Afhganistan, Kamila saw herself alone to ...

Reading Lolita in Tehran Azar Nafisi Memoir, Randomhouse 2003. Paperback, 347 pages This memoir is a sure delightful read among readers as they can immediately connect with the relish of the author in reading in a way that only readers can savor. Though I do not read fiction nowadays, I still can relate to the joy of reading. But amazingly, this book offers more.  While the author and her students reflect on their lack of freedom in their country, Islamic Republic of Iran, in every character or circumstance in the novel that they read, I cannot help myself from reflecting as to how in my country, Philippines, freedom is disregarded simply because it is just around. I can only conclude that want is always a good motivator in achieving something. The memoir tells of a reading circle hosted by the author for two years at her house at the time when universities were either closing or being dictated by Mujahideen (holy warriors) and when the author was out of he...