Friday, April 22, 2011

The 4am Bus to Nowhere






Once, there was a girl who dreamed of traveling. She wanted to find that special place ---




where everything is light and happy; where one could lie on the grass, with the sound of gentle flowing water rocking her to sleep. Everyday, she would gather little bits of information about that place.




She drafted plans and got everything she would need in her backpack until finally, she said, "I'm ready for that trip."



She headed to the bus stop and sat on the bench. If she could take the 4am bus, she's sure she would get to that special place in no time.



She checked her wristwatch. 3:25 --- plenty of time to kill before the bus arrives.





But as she patiently waited for the bus, an old lady walked towards the waiting shed. Her face bore the signs of pain, her back stooped as if tired and defeated, her feet moved, inch by inch, clearly lacking that graceful gait, her brittle hands gripped wooden walking sticks.

The old lady sat next to her, turned to her and said, "Hello, young lady. How are you doing?" Her voice was hoarse and shaky.

"I'm doing great, thank you for asking," the girl replied, trying hard not to stare at the old lady despite her curiosity. "I'm waiting for the 4am bus, but I'm not sure if I'm on the right stop."

"Ah, the 4am bus. Yes, you are at the right place. I should know -- I ride it everyday,"

"That's great! Then, maybe you know where I'm heading! I'm looking for that special place!" her face couldn't hide the excitement she felt.

"That special place?" the old lady asked, deeply puzzled.

"YES! That special place! Where everything is light and happy and where I could lie for hours on the grass! I learned, I could take the 4am bus to get there!"

The old lady shook her head.



"My dear, everyday I ride the same bus, hoping to find that same place you speak of."



"Everyday, it would leave the bus stop at 4am...



"Drive around for hours --- sometimes along the freeway, sometimes on small, winding roads..."


"But everyday, it leads me back here at the exact place I boarded it."

Now, the girl was disturbed. "I don't understand. What about the special place??"

"Maybe the 4am bus doesn't lead to that special place."

"Then why do you keep on taking it?"

The old lady considered the question for a minute before replying. "I didn't know when and where to alight. At the start, I was hoping it would take a different turn until it finally leads me to that special place, but now, I don't know anymore. My years are all behind me now. I'm all worn-out and I don't have those hopes anymore."

The girl was silent, dejected, pondering on what she learned. The seconds stretched to minutes, although it felt like hours. And in a small voice, she asked, "what am I going to do now?"

The old lady sighed. "Well, you can take that 4am bus with me and see if it could really bring us to that special place ---

"Or you could take the first bus, any bus that drives by, without knowing where it would lead you. It could lead somewhere or it could lead to another bus stop and another bus stop until you finally reach that special place. The choice is up to you."

Just as she was speaking, a different bus pulled over.



The girl didn't know where this bus was heading, but, as she looked at the old lady sitting beside her, exhausted and devoid of light, she knew she couldn't bear to have a life like hers.

And so, just as the other bus was about to close the door, she quickly stood up and ran towards it while shouting goodbye to the old lady.

While the unknown frightened her, to lose her years riding a bus to nowhere scared her more.



(Note: All photos are taken in St. Louis, Missouri, except for the photo of the old lady.)



Saturday, April 16, 2011

Core Exercises





About a couple of weeks ago, I found this core workout routine at Women's Health site and has been trying it ever since. I never thought you could do a lot of exercises using the stability ball! I have gained so much respect for it now. And the rountine was really tiring!! It was such a pain to go through the whole thing -- if I have an ounce of energy left, I would have kicked that ball in frustration. The day after my second try, my butt and legs hurt!

I'm now on my second week and, aside from the usual yoga and dance class I take, I think doing this routine really works. My officemate and greatest critic made a comment that I've been losing weight. Yey!!!

I am now signing up for the email subscription list of women's health website! It's now my new bestfriend. ^_^


Monday, April 4, 2011

Bale Dutung (Part 2)

(...the tale continues from Bale Dutung: Part 1)

And the Feast begins

Mary ann asked us to gather around her just as most of the tables were filled up. She told us the house rules: to have the first bite as they intended it to be. Then we're free to go crazy with the condiments. The first among the many food spectacles started --- the welcome drinks. 

Welcome Drinks --- Dalandan juice
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com) 
Dalandan Juice with muscovado iced cubes. As the iced slowly melts, it sweetens the Dalandan juice. Refreshing and really clever!

One of the many beautifully arranged tables

We were then asked to go back to our table to enjoy our meal. 

Appetizer --- Taba ng Talangka, Balo-balo (fermented rice with fish),
and Claude's Pesto (Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)

The appetizer was brought out: taba ng talangka (crab fat), balo-balo (fermented rice with fish), and Claude's pesto with some crackers. We tried each one and then to combined them, as if we're taking a journey to know ourselves better and what flavors we prefer.

The balo-balo they served had a barely noticeable pungent smell. I've never tried one before but I've always imagined its smell to be disturbing. Mary ann answered my question --- they stopped the fermentation process before it goes really bad. Most guests are balo-balo first-timers; they wanted to gradually introduce it to our palate, the way one would break-in a new engine!

Lemon grass and Ginger Juice
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)

A pitcher of what we thought to be Iced Tea was placed on our table. When we took a sip of it, we were blown away with the taste of ginger and how clean and fresh our palate was after. Of course, Mary ann set us straight. It's not iced tea but lemon grass and ginger with muscovado. And we guessed its purpose right. Yay! A+ for us, three geeks!



Ensaladang Pako (Fiddlehead Ferns Salad)
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
Next is ensaladang pako with balsamic vinaigrette dressing. Our self-ordained pako specialist, Chems, commented on how different the pako was compared with what we had in Baler. The one at Bale Dutung was crunchier and fresher, the leaves were bigger. The dressing left a sour aftertaste in my mouth and I like how clean and light the whole dish was.

Piniritong Lumpiang Ubod sa Claude 9 Oriental Sauce or
Fried Vegetable Spring roll with lemon coriander Thai basil sauce
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)

The next course was Piniritong Lumpiang Ubod (Fried Vegetable Spring Roll) with Claude's 9 Oriental Sauce. Honestly, I don't care that much for the lemon coriander Thai basil sauce. I liked it much much better with the chili sauce from Malaysia that Mary Ann brought out from her own collection.



Inasal na Tokwa or Tofu with lemon grass marinade
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)

When I saw that they're serving Chicken Inasal next, my face fell. I was pretty sure they'd serve me with some gluten/mock-meat skewers. My heart skipped a beat as I saw Mary ann heading to our table with a plate of what looks to be tofu! She placed the plate in front of me and said, "we aimed to let you have the same experience as they'd have. This tofu has the same flavor as their chicken." I almost kissed her in gratitude!

I couldn't contain my glee as I bit through the tofu. It's been a long, long time since I've tasted inasal. And I'm a huge fan of tofu! It's just so versatile. We even used Claude's sugar cane vineger --- the green jars with odd-looking liquid we were admiring turned out to be Claude's vinegar, aged since 1999! That's why it didn't have that awful burning sensation in the throat common with commercialized white vinegars.


Kapampangan Sushi or Tamago Roll
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
The next course for me was Tamago roll. Among the dishes, this one was the least impressive. It lacked the wow-factor. I used Mary ann's chili sauce again to spice it up.

Organic Chips in Tortilla with Claude's Kimchi
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
This was the point where we were asked to stand and go to the buffet table. We each got a tortilla, still toasty warm, selected what goes with it from the array: tomatoes, onions, wansuy, Claude's very own kimchi --- topped with crunchy lechon flakes for all of them and drizzled with Claude's Oriental sauce. The vegetarian, of course, had a different bowl waiting for her (this day made me feel even more special than usual, really!=p)

To recreate the crunchy tortilla flakes, Claude and Mary Ann gave me organic sweet potato and radish! Again, I didn't lack any of the elements and flavor that the rest of the guests were enjoying! The kimchi was not spicy at all, but I liked the sour taste and the feel of fresh ingredients.

Another surprise was in store for me: in a separate bowl by the buffet area were vegetables that I could add in my tortilla.

Pajo Mango and Heart of Palm in brine;
Organic Chips
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)

The vegetables added were just amazing. Crunchy and sour, again another layer to my overflowing tortilla. Someone placed the organic chips and the bowl of vegetables on our table. Claude came over to make sure I had the bowl of vegetables. We asked what they were and, as it turned out, the green thing that we thought to be kamias were actually pajo mangoes, with heart of palm or ubod in brine!! My God! How did they ever come up with such ideas??!!!

The next course for nonvegetarians was Sinigang na Lechon. Although, I told Mary Ann that I sometimes take soup cooked with meat as long as I could remove the solid unwanted parts, she still made a separate vegetarian Sinigang for me. When I heard there's a vegetarian pot of sour soup waiting for me, I made a beeline for the buffet table to get my second tortilla. I took my sweet time that Claude and Mary Ann sent several emissary to our table to remind me about the Sinigang until I finally stood up to get a bowl.

It was heaven! I think they actually used kamias to make the soup sour and you could really tell the difference between a Sinigang made from MSG-rich Sinigang mix and Sinigang made from fresh and real ingredients.

Vegetarian Kare-Kare
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
I saw Mary Ann heading towards our table with a small clay bowl. My God! It couldn't be! Could it be? No, no --- Oh yes, it is!!! Kare-kare!!!! Side story: several weeks ago, I dragged Yaj to search for vegetarian Kare-kare. It's one of the dishes I love before going vegetarian and, since turning into one, I haven't tasted a Kare-kare that I really liked.

The way it was presented was just adorable. String beans knotted in thick, yellow, peanut sauce. I begged Chems to look up from her bowl of Sinigang to admire just how thick the sauce was. It almost looked like thick, creamy pumpkin soup (another favorite, by the way). Second thought was to have a Kare-kare with only okras and string beans seems very confident. I was almost afraid to touch it.  For a while, I was just staring at it...until finally, I brought a spoonful  to my mouth, sipped it and sighed in disbelief. That good.

I frantically told Yaj and Chem to try to soup --- Chems pronounced it as exceptional, while Yaj slurped and slurped until I finally reminded him that it's a vegetarian dish; ergo, for the vegetarian. Of course, after a while, I gave him the dish to finish. My tummy was about to burst but I'm saving a tiny space for dessert.

When Mary Ann came over, we raved about the Kare-kare until she told us the secret --- coconut milk. I was absolutely dumbfounded. I don't know much about cooking, but I know for a fact that Kare-kare isn't normally cooked with gata. It was the best dish I've tried that day!


Paradiso --- yam, coconut, egg yolk in carabao's milk
 (Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
Now, for dessert, Paradiso was really a paradise --- the carabao's milk was heavenly, but not so sweet. When taken with the ube, macapuno, and yema balls, now that's really sweet!

The Sinaunang kape from Benguet is perfect to cap a delightful experience. Rich, aromatic, without the Batangas coffee signature sour aftertaste that reminds me of stale coffee. We could put muscovado and fresh carabao's milk but we chose to pour the milk on a separate cup and took it back with us on our table. We wanted to drink the coffee as it is to fully appreciate it.

The Power Couple

Claude and Mary Ann Tayag
That Claude is a gifted, innovative, talented chef is already a given, but what made the Bale Dutung experience even more remarkable was the way each dish was served to the guests.

Mary Ann captivated the guests with her stories, trivia, and anecdotes. She somehow incorporated tidbits of history and put each dish in its proper context, so you somehow not only taste the flavor, but also taste its culture, its etymology. And more than ever, you realized the difference of Pinoys per region and how proud it makes you feel to be one.
As I watched Mary Ann in one corner, talking animatedly with a group of diners, and looked over to where Claude was carving the beautiful (yes, I could still appreciate a roasted pig done perfectly like a piece of art even if I don't eat it) lechon, it occured to me that what they have is a real partnership, one complements the other. Like a true artist, Claude seems to be mostly introverted. While he does talk with the guests when asked, he doesn't seem to be the kind who  starts conversation.

Mary Ann, on the other hand, is like the person who translates Claude's art into lay people's term, making us appreciate the masterpieces even better. She seems to be a no-nonsense woman: she knows what she wants and she's not afraid to tell you, but she could somehow say it in a way that you won't take offense. Case in point, before the start of lunch, she basically told us that it's her house, her rules. If we have complaints, leave; but she said it in a funny manner and yet the message is loud and clear.

Theirs is a partnership that work seemlessly, like a well-oiled machine. Looking around the silong, the intricately carved table with nice accent pieces and beautifully folded table napkins and flowers thrown together, the bowl of rich, thick Kare-kare with knotted string beans, the colorful and flavorful tortilla, the frozen towel doused with fragrant cologne, it's impossible to tell what is just Mary Ann's and what is just Claude's. It is what it is because of Mary Ann and Claude combined. I remembered thinking, "Good thing they don't seem to meddle in politics, because the last time we had such a powerful combination, Philippines went into Martial Law." hehehe....

The Afterthought

Bale Dutung
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
I went to Bale Dutung in hopes of enjoying a 10-course meal, but I got more than what I came there for. It made me realize that:

Yes, it is possible to live a vegetarian lifestyle and still enjoy sumptous meals (and no, not all vegetarians are on self-starvation diet). I'm sure my two friends realized going on a food trip with a vegetarian has some advantages. Among all the guests that afternoon, they got to try the most number of dishes, as I was nice enough to share mine with them.

Yes, it is possible to be a strong woman, like Mary Ann, be with someone for years and still be your own person, not to lose yourself in the process of domestication.

Yes, it is possible to find someone like Claude, who knows just how you like to eat your pizza, just how much chili you like in your tortilla, and just how sour you prefer your Sinigang; who could fill a whole book about his food tours and about your quirks; who could profess in broadsheet that his darleng has been tailing him around and how much "faster I could walk alone, but I chose to be happier."

Yes, it is possible to find your own special place. The Garden of Eden is not as lost as we deem it to be. It can  be a place that we aspire for in afterlife; or it can be right here, right now, amidst a group of people taking delight in food, conversation, connectedness, in speaking the same language; where even pigs feast on organic feeds, and where vinegar is aged since 1999 and does not come from the supermarket.

What makes Bale Dutung even more special is that, every once in a while, it opens its door to invite you in. It shares its magic to anyone who is remotely receptive of it. And you come away with that magic in you, urging you to create your own Garden of Eden.

Details:

Bale Dutung
Villa Gloria Subdivision,
Angeles City, Pampanga

website: http://baledutung.com/
telephone: 09175359198
(02) 6684038, (02) 5024527
email: reserve@baledutung.com





Sunday, April 3, 2011

Bale Dutung (Part 1)


What I initially thought to be another boring night in the office turned out exactly the opposite when I ventured into Bale Dutung's website and saw their announcement ---

Bale Dutung website
No required minimum number of people for dates so and so!! This is it! The moment we've been waiting for. My friends and I have always wanted to visit Bale Dutung, but we just couldn't agree on a date wherein we're all available and, as such, couldn't come up with the minimum number of people required for booking. I quickly sent an email to Bale Dutung to inquire if vegetarians can be accommodated. As soon as I got an affirmative reply, I sent an email to my friends --- several showed interest but only 2, Yaj and Chems, were available on the date I prefer.

And then, the day of an epicure's dream finally arrived!


The First Shall Be The Last

Bale Dutung
Villa Gloria Subdivision, Angeles City
Pampanga
We were the first group to arrive, which worked to our great advantage because we had the whole place to ourselves.


One of the centerpieces

We roamed around the silong, marvelled at the table arrangement, the centerpieces, the overhead lighting made of wood, the old but still working radio by the office door, the long, wooden table and chairs, the shelf with Claude's sauces and condiments, the coffee maker and coffee beans, the huge jars with odd-looking liquids --- like kids in a candy store, we didn't know which one to look at first!

The overhead lighting really got my attention. Table is cleverly arranged
with conversation pieces. A sorbetes (or ice cream) cart is something
we couldn't resist playing with.

From the entrance of the office came a cheerful voice, "Hi, with which group are you?" Without even glancing at her, we knew instantly that she's Mary ann.
  
I walked towards her and replied, "Hi, I'm Senyorita Lakwatsera, the troublesome vegetarian." I apologized for making them go through all the trouble of preparing vegetarian dishes for me, but Mary ann quickly dismissed my apology, saying they welcomed the challenge.

She asked why I decided to go vegetarian and if I mind if other people eat meat in front of me. After a brief explanation about my reasons, I also told them that, except for squid balls, which the very scent could send me salivating like one of Pavlov's dogs, I don't mind if they would eat meat nor do I crave for it. Claude claimed squid balls are ok to eat as they're mostly made of starch than squid! (Hmm...soon, I know my resistance for squid balls will break and i would engorge on it!) We all talked a bit more about Bale Dutung itself and food, food, food, before the other groups started coming in.


Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com
We walked around the garden --- the improvised garden fogger built around the silong blew cool mists; the hammocks were enticing, perfect place to have siesta after a nice lunch; the huge, imposing tree at the corner provided an aura of intrigue --- like it's been lifted from the earlier versions of Shake, Rattle, Roll; the crown of tree shaded a vast area, the rustling leaves a precursor to the refreshing breeze that welcomed us.


Kapre, a Philippine mystical creature, playing a bamboo flute
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)
By the small pond is a sculpture of the Kapre, a mythical creature of Filipino Folklore, which is described as over 8 feet tall, with a body of a man but a head of horse; but instead of smoking a cigar, like how it's often portrayed, this one is playing a bamboo flute!

One of the four kitchens at Bale Dutung. See that brick oven?
Pretty neat, huh?
We walked towards the back of the house, where the one of the four kitchens are. This is, again, a place where one could get lost with pieces that you just want to touch and look at closely. We also got inside Claude's gallery, where his paintings and pieces of art, as well as the signature of the big names in Philippine Visual Arts are displayed.

We were even lucky enough to explore even the upper-level of Bale Dutung! After the 4-hour lunch, as I passed one of the servers on my way from the office, he asked me if I want to join the other group who went upstairs. How could anyone refuse the chance to take a peek into their home?


Bale Dutung Veranda
(Photo by Yaj of sightsandspices.blogspot.com)

The veranda provides the best seat to survey the garden. Bench and cushions are ideal for siesta or curling up with a good book, or better yet, with a hunky guy!! Inside, I was just so amazed with more precious items to look at. The ceiling, reminiscent of old churches from whence they came from; the "rocking" bench; Claude's private kitchen; the aquamarine abstract glass sculpture on the corner table that could only be Ramon Orlina's; the floor-to-ceiling wooden cabinet that houses hundreds of books; the floor that Claude got from an old bowling alley...Ahh!!! The upper level is just a whole new tale that I will reserve for another day! By the time we decided to leave Bale Dutung, we were the only group left!

(Tale is continued here: Bale Dutung Part 2)

Friday, April 1, 2011

Breathe featuring Sophie Barker



I just love this song...and yeah, it makes me want to dance.

Another song for choreo. Great!!