"Where You Are"

This story was inspired by the song "Where You Are", written by Julius Guevara and Mark Lopez and sung by Hangad Music Ministry (lifted from their album "Pasko Naming Hangad"), and in part by the events that took place in the life of a good friend of mine.

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Shivering in cold, Brian tearfully entered the hollow halls of that white stucco house. It has been years since he last saw that house, a house full of childhood memories that was suddenly turned into sorrow, grief, and anger. As he entered the dining room, those dark images of three years ago continue to haunt him. The cold December air felt even colder inside the house. No Christmas lights, no Christmas tree, no one to share the warmth and joy of the Christmas season.

Failing to brave the sorrows, Bryan turned back and went outside for a walk. Tears started to run down his cheeks. Outside, he can see children playing, smiles painted across their faces. Families walking together. Beautiful voices singing carols straining through the night.

Bryan reached the town plaza and sat on one of the benches. He looked up and saw the multitude of stars. However, a certain star shining very brightly caught his attention. It is giving a strong beam of light that seems to be illuminating something. Bryan’s gaze became fixed that he was already oblivious to the surroundings. Until…

“Why don’t you follow that star?” said a voice.

Bryan looked around but so no one. Again he gazed at the star, then heard the same voice.

“Follow it. It will guide you.”

Without further ado, Bryan got up the bench, raced back home, locked the old stucco house, got into his car and drove to the direction of the star. The drive was seemingly endless, but he was determined to see what that star was all about. He drove and drove until…

He reached the home of his best friend Gino. Gino earlier invited Bryan to their home for Noche Buena but he turned it down.

The light of the star was pointing to the Belen at Gino’s yard. As Gino let him in, Bryan went straight to the Belen. The image of the Christ Child at the center seemed to be smiling at him.

With more tears welling up his eyes, he said to himself, “I was lost deep in the night, but Your bright star led me to where You are, to where I am supposed to be. I lost my family, but You led me to a new one.”

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Sometimes we are fixated in looking for the superficial things that would most complete us. But as we commemorate the Birth of the Lord Jesus Christ, let us remember that back then in that first Christmas, the Bright Star led the three Wise Men to where Jesus is. Let us find our own stars of Bethlehem and let the light of Christ's love lead us to where He is.

Geo's Fruit Pie

Geo's Fruit Pie

Ingredients:

1 500g can of fruit cocktail

2 300g cans of all purpose cream, chilled.

1 300g can of condensed milk, chilled.

6 cups crushed graham crackers

1 225g bar of butter

1/2 cup powdered sugar

3 pcs cherries

Topping: 1 cup crushed almonds or 1/2 cup crushed graham crackers

1. Melt butter in low heat.

2. Place crushed grahams in a large pan; pour in melted butter. (A circular pan is most recommended

3. Place in freezer for 3 hours.

4. Mix all purpose cream and milk. Return to chiller and bring out only when it will be used already.

5. Once graham crust is hardened, top with fruit cocktail.

6. Add in chilled milk-cream mixture until it covers the fruits.

7. Top with crushed almonds or crushed graham crackers.

8. Place in freezer.

SERVE CHILLED.

Potato Casserole with Cream Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 kg marble potatoes

4 cups water

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp paprika, powdered

1 300g can of all purpose cream

2 onions, finely chopped

1 250g can of mushrooms

1/4 cup butter

2 tsp dried basil

2 tsp dried parsley

half pack of Aji Ginisa

half block of mozzarella cheese, grated.

salt & pepper to taste

1. Place 4 cups water over medium heat until simmering.

2. Add potatoes, dried oregano and paprika. Bring to a boil then drain.

3. Saute onions and mushroom in butter.

4. Reducing heat, pour in all-purpose cream gradually, constantly stirring.

5. Add the remaining oregano and Aji-Ginisa pack. Heat until mixture simmers while constantly stirring.

6. Remove from heat then add salt and pepper, constantly stirring.

7. Arrange potatoes in a large platter. Add in cream mixture.

8. Top with mozzarella cheese, sprinkle with basil and parsley.

9. Microwave for 5 minutes in medium-low setting.

Pineapple Pork with Pineapple & Veggie Tomato Sauce

As I was cooking for lunch earlier, I just tried a dish that I haven't really cooked before. I thought at first it will taste bad but I was surprised that my folks liked it. I'm gonna share the "recipe" with you guys. I even named it already.

Pineapple Pork with Pineapple & Veggie Tomato Sauce

You need:

1.5 kilo of pork liempo,thinly sliced and cut into three

1 can pineapple tidbits

1/8 cup Worcestershire sauce

1 sayote, julienne cut

1 can mushrooms

2 small/1 big potato, julienne cut

1 carrot, julienne cut

1 bell pepper, red, julienne cut

1 onion, cut into quarters and each layer separated

1 garlic, finely chopped

1 500g pack tomato sauce

1 small pack Aji-Ginisa

1/2 cup honey

1 cup water

1/4 cup red wine (optional)

1.5 cups flour

cooking oil

salt & pepper to taste

1. Separate the pineapple tidbits from its juice/syrup

2. Marinate pork in the pineapple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and half of the AjiGinisa pack; add a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside for a while.

while the pork is set aside, make the sauce.

3. In a sauce pan, saute garlic, onions, sayote, carrot, and potato.

4. Add bell pepper, mushrooms, and pineapple tidbits.

5. Add tomato sauce.

6. Add some salt and pepper and the remainder of the AjiGinisa pack.

7. Add the water. Cover the mixture until it simmers.

8. Add wine and honey. Cover again until it simmers. Set aside.

After making the sauce,

9. Coat the pieces of pork in flour and fry until golden brown.

10. Serve with sauce on the side.

Sample:

There is no available liempo that's why I used adobo cut. You can actually use any meat for this one.

30-Something and All that Jazz

1. As of this writing, I haven't entered a cinema/movie house for more than a year now.

2. I always wanted to go to Tibet.

3. Blue as my favorite color has got nothing to do with my political affiliation.

4. I don't like to be the mean. I always wanted to be the extreme event.

5. I enjoy watching Broadway.

6. If I was an algorithm, I have the tendency to put myself in an infinite loop.

7. I talk much.

8. One thing the President and I have in common - a sister. [You'll get my drift]

9. Speaking of drifts, I always wanted to learn how to drift [automotive sport].

10. I was asthmatic.

11. I am fascinated about Latin American culture.

12. I learned how to use a computer at age 4.

13. Everyday for me is filled with music.

14. I play mahjong.

15. Whether the seating is arranged alphabetically or by height, I'm always seated at or near the back.

16. I always wished Diana and Charles had a daughter.

17. You may call me weird.

18. I so love the 80s and the 90s.

19. I know how to make cheesecake.

20. But I still wanna learn how to bake.

21. I can understand a few French and Spanish words.

22. I'm a social networking addict. [Ain't it obvious?]

23. I'm eclectic, borderline eccentric.

24. My dream job has something to do with the building on the 20-peso bill.

25. Sometimes I feel I'm schizo.

26. If I'm asked to play a villainous role in a movie, I'd play Judas Iscariot in Jesus Christ Superstar. His "villainy" was essential to the salvation of mankind.

27. My folks had problems feeding me when I was a child: the problem of how to make me stop eating.

28. I'm adventurous.

29. I wanted to be a street racer so freakin' bad!

30. ♫ I'll let the pain bring all the rain ♫. In other words, I often get LSS.

Butterfly Insights

A marvelous lesson appeared for me just now as I was exiting thru the garage, to come to this little playplace they call an office.

As I opened the garage door, I startled a large moth, which, upon spreading it's wings, displayed a bright red "tail" hidden by the motley brown wings, more a "butterfly" than a moth.

It flew immediately to its perceived escape, the circle-topped window where it frantically tried to exit thru the invisible wall of closed glass.

I raised the third-car garage door in hopes of aiding it's escape. That caused it to fly higher and higher and become entangled in a spider web. Fearful that it would remain entangled in the web, I selected a long-handled broom to assist him escaping the tangled threads.

At this, he returned to furiously pumping his wings and banging into the glass, which was, in his perspective, the pathway of escape, but remained his cage.

By simply turning his focus to one side, he would have easily exited his prison. Rather, due to his intent on one direction, he remained confined, captive.

Some thoughts on the barangay and SK elections

Today we, as one nation, trooped for the second time this year to our respective polling places and voted for our village (barangay) officials. We chose the people who will lead our communities.

The barangay is the basic unit of governance. The most basic of services should be delivered first and foremost by this unit. The barangay is also the governmental unit closest to home since it encompasses the community. Hence, the barangay elections were perceived by the authors of the Local Government Code to be as non-partisan as possible.

However, the barangay of today is not what it should be. Barangay councils start to lack credibility, transparency, and accountability. the barangay chairperson uses facilities such as the barangay patrol car for his/her personal use. Even the Sangguniang Kabataan, which is supposed to be the voice of the youth in the community, has now become a breeding ground for trapos or traditional politicians. And the positions are very much "to die for", explaining the culture of violence that marred past barangay elections, including this one.

The electoral process we have witnessed today is no different from the elections of the past. Perennial problems - missing names in voters list, blatant violation of the Omnibus Election Code, delayed delivery of election paraphernalia, and long lines - still exist. And as I have mentioned, several incidences of violence nationwide have rocked this electoral process.

Everyone is dismayed with the lack of preparation for today's electoral process. We still have a long way to go in terms of reforming our process.

But then again, why keep on whining? We are responsible for building this nation; let us start with our respective barangays.