CONFESSIONS OF A VALENTINOPHOBIC

Valentines Day: You either love it or you hate it.  Well, I am part of the half who do not love it at all.  It is one cheesy day I am obliged to undergo, just because the world has labelled this pitiful day as “the day of hearts” and painted it all red.

A few days ago, I asked David, “Can we not do anything on Valentines Day?”  I was just cringing at the thought of celebrating “love” with all the other couples in the world.  Giving love is good.  Talking about love is cheesy; and celebrating love?  (‘_’)

So anyway, he told me he’d plan about it and just surprise me.  Since I didn’t want to discourage him, and I enjoy surprises a bit, I let out a plain “okay” and a little smile.

He told me to dress comfortably, and to be  ready by 9:00am.  Great, I thought, we won’t be joining the majority of the statistics who will be celebrating in the evening.  When Valentines Day came, I did as he instructed.  He then told me to close my eyes because where we were going was a secret.  After a whole cycle of Disney songs in the CD player, a number of curious “where are we going,” and a couple of detours, we finally reached our first destination for the day.

THE PARK
David knows how much I love nature.  Nature reminds me of how joyful and fruitful life can be even in utter simplicity.  The flowers seated in a bed of soil did nothing to gain beautiful red and orange hues on their petals.  The cactus did nothing to earn strong and sturdy thorns to protect itself.  The spider did nothing to make its spiderweb as strong as iron when wrapped thickly.  The trees simply stood its ground, and leaves and fruits started to bud.  All these remind me how God creates each being thoughtfully, preserves each life and enables it to grow.  Man complicates things so much that sometimes I just thirst for a sweet escape to nature.

Today, David brought me to a park, a few minutes away from the business district in Pasig City.  It showcased nature of all sorts.  Trees that bear mangoes and makopas.  Dry plants that prick.  Monkeys that play on tire swings.  Sheep and goats sauntering in lines.  Birds of various colors in their giant cages.  Sleeping snakes.

The walk was very much pleasurable.  For one, it was not a popular dating site for couples, so it was easy for me to forget that today’s Valentines Day.   And, I felt like I literally just had a date with David and God today. The place was so conducive for relaxation, for long talks, for a thanksgiving walk and for worship.  Try it next time.

CASITA XOCOLAT
I’m so glad that David also knows my taste in food.  Since I see life as an adventure, eating must also undergo a certain exciting journey of discovery.  So more than hotel buffets, I’d rather dine in an unexpected hole-in-the-wall, quirky place that serves unbelievably good food.

That’s exactly what we had today in Casita Xocolat.  When we reached the place, I was instantly attracted to its warm, airy, country feel.  Some wooden tables are hand-painted in bright green and orange, while the other tables are decorated with colorful pebbles.  The walls are adorned with oil paintings and wooden crafts.  The adorable Casita Xocolat can accommodate around 25 people.

We tried their specialty, the Xoco Lava (Php 145), and I loved it!  Just a little sip of its earthy, quite Hispanic, chocolate with vanilla ice cream, my craving for chocolates was instantly satisfied.  I ordered the Pork Belly (Php 185), while David the Xocolat Chicken Pasta (Php 195).  I opted the pork because of the cacao-bagoong sauce — chocolate + gata (coconut milk) + bagoong (shrimp paste).  I’ve been craving for bagoong for the longest time, so yipeediyey, I have had it today!

The pasta was tossed in cream with white mushrooms.  What made it unique was the chicken toppings. The chicken was drenched in, believe it or not, chocolate! But sadly, what we had for today was quite stiff.  I think it would be better if it was not overcooked and if it was kicked up with a little spice.

Minus the detail that it is Valentine’s Day, today is simply perfect.

Learnings of and for Valentinophobics:

1. Have a date from early in the morning until lunch time only.

2. Visit places that are not crowd favorites.  Since Filipinos are usually mall-goers, veer away from those sites today.

3. Discover hidden places.  Try new cuisines.  Celebrate Valentine’s Day not only for the sake of love, but celebrate the new adventures today with your love.

4. Forget that today is Valentine’s Day.  Simply thank the Lord for giving you a new day.

5. It’s okay to reschedule your Valentine’s Day, just so you won’t go along with the crowd.. and flowers may be cheaper too.

6. Get to know your partner, and surprise him.  Making him happy for a day is a nice project to do.  And vice versa.

7. Treat this as a Thanksgiving Day.  Thank God for the loving relationships (for your comfort) and challenging relationships (for your character and salvation) He has blessed you with.

Happy Valentine(ophibic)’s Day!

Food, Parks & Celebrities: Post Christmas in Singapore

My family decided to spend the rest of the holidays in Singapore with my brother and sister in law.  So we woke up at 3am yesterday to catch a 6:30am flight. (Note to self: never take a 6:30am or an earlier flight again.) I was groggy the whole morning until my dad pointed out “John Lloyd” in the boarding area of MIAA. Not that I’m a fan or anything like that.  But I just remembered John Lloyd being my philosophy professor’s celebrity crush.  She gushed in front of the class as to how good-looking he was. 

He wore a black jacket, shades and a cap.. the usual celebrity stealthy get-up..which ironically made him look even more like a celebrity.  He had a very fair complexion, smooth skin, and a little bit chubby structure.  Then I also saw Shaina who was pretty in her flowy pants and sleeveless printed top.  She had her make-up on which made me think, she probably didn’t get much sleep the other night.  They were with a large group, probably J.L.’s family.  There were kids, teens, and middle aged people with them.

So as an evidence, here’s our picture together.  (My mom mustered up the courage to ask for their photos.)

We arrived in Singapore at around 10:50am.  The Cebu Pacific plane was really full.  I felt quite sorry for John Lloyd and Shaina Magdayao because all eyes were on them.  I caught a great number of eyes following the couple (my parents included) as well as whispers and giggles from the plane to the baggage counter in Singapore.  There was no special VIP treatment when they arrived.  The last time I saw them was when they took off in a double deck bus.  Anyway, enough about them.  It’s time for some food tripping!

Lunch, 12:00: Sushi Tei

My brother who has been a resident in Singapore for more than five years highly recommends Sushi Tei for Japanese food enthusiasts.  We tried the Sushi Tei branch along the beach in East Coast.

I ordered Nabeyaki Udon.  The tempura was normal for me.  I couldn’t taste the difference.  But there were some chicken chunks, soft mushrooms and fish cakes that added texture to the dish. The thick udon was chewy which was, to my taste, good.  The soup was savory and not overpoweringly sweet.  Overall an okay-okay dish.

 I first tried a big piece of tempting futomaki.  One of my criteria for a good maki is an obedient seaweed covering that is soft and easy to bite on.  This maki passed with a high mark.  I could also taste the freshness of each ingredient wrapped in Japanese rice.  When I was ready to take my second piece, the makis were I guess very well appreciated, that there was only one other futomaki left.

Yummy Zaru Soba for my dad — my dad’s personal fave.  He orders this in almost every Japanese restaurant we go to.  An evidence of how much my dad liked it, he said, “I still can’t forget the Japanese restaurant we went to yesterday.”  

It’s milk tea for dessert! I love the teh tahrik (SGD $2) being served in East Coast.  Edivita introduced it to me last January.  It was love at first sip.  I prefer it a lot over the pearl milk teas we have in the Philippines.  I guess probably because it’s the real thing.

Dinner, 18:00: Akopo’s (Grandfather’s sister) residence

We ate in the balcony of their house where the wind was blowing freely through the wooden railings.  It was a lovely & refreshing ambience for a family gathering.  Felt like I was in a picnic.

Here’s a classic Singaporean-Chinese dinner spread.  There’s misua, spicy fish curry, fried tempura, fried chicken, sticky rice with Chinese longganisa and bittermelon soup among others.

Merry Christmas la from Singapore!

Cheers! Yes, this is their way of digesting after a heavy meal.  And this is also the Singaporeans’ (as well as Chinese’s) way of bonding and catching up.

One thing I love about Singapore is that playgrounds are abundant!  Children can freely go out of their house, ride on the swings, and then go home for dinner.  In our case, we walked around after a full meal.  This is a park 10 steps outside Akopo’s house.

I was surprised when an auntie told me that these logs were for the biceps.

Seems to me that this can also be a playground for adults!  What a healthy & engaging place.

They also have a trail for joggers and a stadium probably for aerobics and other exercises.

The picture below shows the second playground near their place. 

It’s such a blessing to be able to walk leisurely, look around and enjoy the clean surrounding in Singapore.  I won’t have this much liberty when I get back home. But I read somewhere recently that if the surrounding is not as pleasing, look up.  The sky, glorious and magnificent, is the same everywhere.

So this is how we spent December 26, 2011.

How are you spending the Christmas holidays? :)

Merry Christmas: Associations and Reflections

For the past decades, I’ve associated Christmas with a number of random things.  There was this pair of white school socks I would hang at the head of my bed on Christmas eve, as I waited for Santa Clause to fly through our window (we didn’t have a chimney).

Then there was also the 8ft. Christmas tree with golden balls and golden-winged angel ornaments we would put up together on one relaxing October or November day. I get a warm giddy feeling every time I turn on the twinkling yellow lights.  Then of course there are the Santa Clause dolls around the house.  One hanging on our door post, another standing by the Christmas tree, and also there’s one sitting on  our dining room TV.

Sometimes, I would also associate Christmas with the activities or festivities.

Plus singing and dancing to the fun upbeat Christmas music.

There’s the kris kringle where we act like “mommy”/ “daddy” and give gifts to our “babies.”  There are also Christmas concerts, musicals or plays.  And in the recent years, Starbucks Christmas drinks also come to mind.

And I also associate Christmas with certain concepts or thoughts.. like Christmas being a time with family.. or a time to remember the birth of Christ… and of course happiness.  That’s why based on observation, a lot of people experience self-pity (one even died of heart attack because of loneliness according to TV Patrol today) if they don’t have their families around, gifts received, fun parties to attend and other associations present.

Then last night, on the eve of Christmas, it dawned on me that since Christmas symbolizes Jesus’ birthday more than anything else, (1) my associations were not directed primarily on Jesus and, (2) I have already prepared gifts for most family and friends, but I still don’t have a gift for him!

What a shame, I was more focused on work, festivities and other visitors, than on the birthday celebrant Himself.  Then I asked myself a very difficult question.  What can you give Jesus who already has the whole world in His hands?

We may have different answers.  After much thought, I realized I would like to give Jesus a heart of worship. A heart that realizes Christmas is not a time for frivolities but for moments enjoyed with Jesus.  (God has made a way for us to be with Him so why don’t we make the most of this gift?)  But in order that we may have a meaningful time with Jesus we must let go of a few things.  We need to erase anger, bitterness, hopelessness, envy, greed, pride, etc. by the blood of Jesus and be filled instead with thanksgiving and praise (I realized it’s nearly impossible to worship when we’re harboring such sins). A heart that gives more room to Jesus, and less room to me.

Many of you may ask, “Shouldn’t we have a heart of worship everyday?” Exactly!  Since Christ has saved us, our lives are not for our own selfish gain anymore (“To live is Christ..” Phil. 1:21).

But isn’t it ironic that when Christmas comes, we get so tied up with all the busy-ness of the season (whether in business or ministries or parties) and other associations, that we have less time, energy and passion in worshiping God?

What things do you associate Christmas with?


How do you plan to make the birthday celebrant feel special?


What gift would you like to give Jesus today?