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The best thing about living in the Philippines is that the people are kind, loving and hospitable. They look happy and often smile.
Mom's neighbor uncle Orland treated us to mangoes and this beautiful papaya he picked in his backyard garden. He also gave us a tour of the house he had recently built.
Orland told us about his life and how he went to the Middle East to work. Many Filipinos try their luck in different parts of the world to provide a better life for their families. I am one of them. My mother also worked abroad for two years. She worked as a nanny. It is sad that while mothers go to another country to take care of other people's children, they do not see their children grow up. For the sake of family we can endure anything, no matter how hard it is.
After eating, we got down to our project. We will be making a bench out of bamboo and wood. Mama Lin bought coconut lumber for the base. This would be Boria’s first experience with a local building material. When my husband and I started chatting, he asked me what my dream was. I replied that I dreamed of living in a bamboo farmhouse with a garden. I would also like to raise chickens and have a dog. He told that at that moment, he knew he had found the love of his life.
Our bamboo bench is almost finished. It will be nice to sit on under the mango tree.
The next day we hung that tarp in front of the house. It is very hot here during the day, so it will provide shade. We also noticed that it rains almost every night, so this tarp will serve as protection from the rain as well.
Mama Lin, Charleen, and I decide to go looking for edible plants by the river. When I was younger, we would sometimes go to the area to pick up water spinach, taro stems and leaves. These vegetables are inexpensive if you buy them at the market. But why buy them when you can get them for free.
Taro is usually known for its edible, starchy root, but the leaves of the plant are also very popular in various Asian cuisines. It is important to note that raw leaves are poisonous before cooking. In the Philippines, tAro is called gAbi.
Wild kangkong, or water spinach, also grows in abundance in this swampy area. It weaves densely and the ground seems to be covered in a green carpet. Here in the Philippines, it is one of the cheapest leafy vegetables.
Our simple meal: kangkong adobo, fried dried fish, minced meat cooked in tomato sauce, tomato salad and rice. I think my mama and Boria are turning into Filipinos because they are starting to like rice. The papaya our neighbor gave us is so sweet and delicious.
We heard the sound of the bell.
This delicious traditional Filipino ice cream called sorbetes will help us cool off from the summer heat. What makes this ice cream unique is the use of coconut milk or carabao milk. It's also known as "dirty ice cream," but that doesn't mean it's really dirty. It is served in a variety of flavors, usually colored in bright colors, in waffle cones and as a bread ice cream sandwich. The price for an ice cream cone is 10 pesos and a bread ice cream sandwich is 20 pesos. It's a small price to pay to see the kids get excited, and the adults too.
The excavator picked up one man, and he began harvesting coconuts.
Danica and I began to prepare the stems and leaves of the taro. It would take a long time, but it would be worth it. A popular recipe from tAro is called laing, and it comes from the Bicol region of South Luzon. The stems and leaves, cooked in coconut milk with salted fermented shrimp or bagoong. This dish is also heavily seasoned with red hot chili. But today we won't add chilies because mama and boria can't tolerate spicy food very well.
You can't have Laing without coconut milk. Although ready-made coconut milk is sold in stores, freshly grated coconut is better. For this, we need a manual coconut grater, also known in the Philippines as a kayurAn. Since coconut milk are very popular in the Philippines, this grater used to be found in almost every kitchen.
After the mature coconut is grated, milk is squeezed from it, the first liquid is called kAkan gatA or coconut cream. Then water is added to the coconut shavings and squeezed a second time - this will be coconut milk.
This open area by the river is our favorite place to relax. The kids play and I practice riding the bike. We also see off the fishermen. We find it fascinating to watch them float down the narrow river toward the endless sea. We wish them good luck. May they have a huge catch this evening. It's not a job for them, but more of a hobby.
Soon we too will be off to uncharted lands, but for now we will enjoy the remaining days here with our beautiful family.
24 мар 2023
