Ramblings of a Perpetually Tanned Filipina

Chicken Afritada is a Filipino dish with potatoes, bell peppers, and tomato sauce. Here's my own version of this dish. Ingredients: 1 kilo chicken cut into pieces 5 pieces potatoes, peeled and halved 1 red onion, diced 1 clove of garlic, minced 1 green/red bell pepper, sliced into strips 2 cups chicken stock 3 cups tomato sauce (just use 1 cup if you are not a big fan of tomatoes) 2 tablespoons of fish sauce 3 tablespoons of cooking oil salt, pepper, and sugar to taste Chicken stock: One piece of chicken cube dissolved in hot water. * Heat oil in a cooking pan; * When the oil is hot, sauté garlic and onions (garlic should be slightly brown and the onion chunks are transparent); * Add chicken and make it slightly brown (if you added pieces of chicken with bones, make sure that there's no blood on the bones); * Add potatoes and continue to cook; * Once potatoes are already cooked, pour tomato sauce, stock and fish sauce; * Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes ...

Adobo is a popular Filipino recipe and is also my husband's favorite food to eat. Cooking was never my forte and my mom would always tell me that once I get married, my husband will return me home 'coz I don't know how to cook. For the sake of saving myself some dignity and for me not to be single for the rest of my life, I learned how to cook adobo before I left the Philippines. I got the recipe from my roommate and I have been using this since. And it is true that a way to a man's heart is through his stomach. Here are the ingredients for the adobo I cook during lunch or dinner: 1 kilo of chicken 1 medium onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic, minced half a teaspoon of ground pepper (add more if you want spicy adobo) 5 pieces of laurel/bay leaves 4 teaspoons of sugar almost half a cup of soy sauce almost half a cup of vinegar Combine all the ingredients in one pot and bring to a boil. Mix for a little bit, then simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked. Ma...

March 25, 2010 I had to get my Social Security number yesterday and Tim was at work, so I had to go to Gatlin on my own. The day before that, Tim had to force me to take the bus and I wasn't so excited about the trip. We checked out the nearest bus stop in our place the night before, so that I would know where to wait. The dreaded day came and I was supposed to leave the house before 9am, but I ended up leaving at 10:30am. I was too nervous and I wasn't looking forward to it, so I went online first and did a little research. I printed the bus schedule and checked the landmarks near the place I was headed. I even checked the bus stops near my place 'coz I was worried I might miss my stop. I also checked youtube for bus ride tips. I'm glad I checked it 'coz I had an idea on what to do. Instead of taking 2 bus rides yesterday, I only took one 'coz it was a lovely day outside and I just walked that .6 mile supposed 1st bus ride instead. It was weird walking along th...

Last Friday, March 19th, we went to visit the civil surgeon for the I-693 document. I'm thankful for my friend who lives in Winter Garden right now, 'coz I never had to go through the whole list of civil surgeons in our area just to get my remaining vaccines. She already went through the process, so I just got the name of the civil surgeon from her and called the doctor's office up. We went to Dr. Jose A. Cornejo's Office at the Metro-West Professional Plaza. I had to call a week before, because I have learned that you have to set an appointment before going there. They only accept immigration processing every Friday from 9am until 2pm. I thought I only needed the tdap vaccine, so I was quoted $130 for everything ($55 for the vaccine and $75 for the form and Doctor's professional fee). We got there at 9:30am because the address on the USCIS site says 507 instead of 1507, so we had to call his office and ask for directions. Mapquest gave us directions for 507 South H...

March 17, 2010 marks the day I bid goodbye to my complete autonomy and be united forever in marriage with the man I love! :) " Marriage is not a ritual nor an end. It is a long, intricate, intimate dance together and nothing matters more than your own sense of balance and your choice of partner." - Amy Bloom

I am sitting on the red couch while listening to the sound of the rain outside. It's been raining for 2 days in a row and I am hoping that tomorrow will be a sunny day. I've been here in Orlando for almost 2 months now, and everyday is always an interesting day for me - especially the weather. This is a typical sunny day in Florida, but don't be fooled by the picture. It has been cold since I got here - the temperature is somewhere between 58-65. I am used to the 80's in the Philippines, so everyday was torture for me. It has been in the 70's since last Monday, but I still feel cold. The island girl in me can't stand the temperature lower than 70. I hope the cold chill will end soon. I can't wait to wear my shorts and flip flops and just sit on the couch without a blanket. Oh Florida, show us your tropical side!

I grew up as an independent person. I was taught not to depend on people when I can do things on my own, and to always have that quest for learning. Part of the learning process is my eagerness to learn a language and culture other than my own. I never wanted to be a boxed-up individual. I want to be on my own and explore the world and doing that will never be easy. I realized at an early age that I need to be strong to achieve my dreams, and I need a good education to accomplish everything. My family was and is always been supportive of me. I was sent to great schools and I was able to meet great teachers who honed my skills as an individual. I will never forget my kindergarten teacher – Miss Emelie Vallejos, who taught me the importance of great speech which includes proper pronunciation. I know I am blessed to have given the chance to have good education and a great support group. I am contented with what I have and what I have become, but I never realized that I was prepped up to b...