No Fuss About Fudge

I once saw Nigella Lawson on TV, she was making chocolate fudge for Christmas.  It looked simple, the way she put everything, it was just a toss-here-and-there of ingredients.  She used dark chocolate, condensed milk, a piece of butter and some nuts. 

White chocolate block

 I decided to make my own version of choco fudge this weekend—a non-occasion.    But I used white chocolate instead, it’s my favorite chocolate.  Though it has been said that white chocolate is not really chocolate, since it does not contain cocoa fats, which make up the chocolate as chocolate.  But they still call white chocolate as white chocolate.  I hope I made that clear.

No Fuss White Chocolate Fudge

500 g white chocolate, chopped

1 can condensed milk (pure cow’s milk is a better choice)

2 tbsp butter

100 g mix nuts, chop or crush the nuts (trail mix is more fun as it has multi-color choco bits and raisins too)

Put white chocolate in a ceramic bowl and microwave on high setting for 30 seconds.  Stir.  Repeat 2 more times, stirring after each interval.  Be careful not to burn the chocolate.   I suggest you switch the setting to medium-high on the 2^nd interval and then to medium on the 3^rd interval.  Don’t forget to stir in the condensed milk (pour gradually according to your taste, you need not consume the whole can) and butter before you proceed to the 3^rd interval.

Take out from the microwave and stir more until mixture is smooth.  Add the nuts.  When you see the multi-color choco bits melt, swirl for a designer effect.  Make sure you scatter the nuts, raisins and choco bits.  Pour the mixture on a prepared 8x8 inch greased baking pan, lined with non-stick baking sheet.  Make sure the baking sheet flaps over the pan.  It will make the choco fudge easier to lift out of the pan when it has set.  

The fudge has fully set

Let the mixture cool on room temperature for 30 minutes and then chill in the fridge (please not in the freezer!) for 1 hour and 30 minutes or until it’s firm.  When the fudge is firm, cut it into desired shapes, ideally into squares or sticks.  It’s up to you.  Store fudge in a canister or box and put in the fridge, if you do not plan to consume it on one sitting with your loved ones and friends.  You can take a piece of 'happiness' anytime when you crave for something sweet.

Fudge squares

Fudge sticks

The fudge slices look like Chinese characters, hopefully for good luck

There you have it, your weekend or anytime white chocolate fudge. The recipe is versatile, you can always substitute the white chocolate with your favorite milk chocolate or dark bitter chocolate, depending on your taste. Good luck!

Friendship and Health

Len and I have been friends for a long time, we’ve been through thick and thin.    She’s one of my best friends.  She’s one of the persons with whom I could lay my hair down after a hard day's work.  I mean, I’m comfortable around her-- I could be silly for a change,  I could laugh out loud without a care on my poise, and I could crack jokes without worrying if she laughs at it or not.  Most of all, Len knows my quirks.  She’s one of the few who know that I do not tote anything when we go out or dine—one of my quirks.  :)  So, all the paperbags and take-out packages-- my friends carry them.  My friends still tend to 'baby' me sometimes, though we have grown to more mature individuals through the years, probably it's a force of habit because of my fragile built.  :)      

True friends support each other’s endeavors.  Well, I support my friends, even if their mission is not as perfect as for the benefit of the entire human race.  :)  

A few months ago, we met up for dinner.

My friends and former colleagues in my previous bank, Len at my left

Len has a new endeavor.  She almost twisted my arm (that's idiomatically) so I would join her networking for a health product, but she failed to buy me in.  I just don’t have the flair for product networking. Some people are made for that, I’m just not one of them.  She explained to me the benefits of joining her (like earning eye-popping dollar commissions, $$$!!!) and of using the product.  I was agreeable with the benefits of the product, it could aid weight management and recuperation from diseases.  Although I did not join Len's network, to show my support, I promised her I would blog the products she’s endorsing.  So, here I am-- a good friend who keeps her words. :)

USANA Health Sciences, Nutritionals You Can Trust

By the acronym, anyone could guess the product brand is from USA.  US-made health products are reliable.  USANA researches, manufactures and distributes nutritional supplements which guard against poor eating habits, processed foods, uncertain food content and free-radicals.  The ultimate benefit of USANA products is optimal nutrition. 

The Essentials vitamin, mineral and anti-oxidants for adults contain Mega Anti-oxidant and Chelated Mineral

You can personalize your nutritional program, according to your lifestyle and health conditions.  In fact, world-class athletes, doctors and health professionals in many parts of the world have put their trust on USANA.products.  You may contact the USANA representatives or obtain further product information through their website, www.usana.com.

For a personalized assistance, you may get in touch with Len, whether you want to join her network (she says the pay is lucrative in US dollars on a weekly basis!) or you simply want to experience good health through USANA nutritional products.  Her contact details:  Ms. Len N. Co, Mobile No. +639176184123 or +639178790472.

USANA Nutritionals might just be the products that will address your health requirements. 

Coffee, For Here

I’m adventurous when it comes to food brands.  I am not scared of foreign or ‘strange’ brands.  For me, even if the language on the package is incomprehensible,  as long as they are retailed in the supermarkets, hypermarts, groceries and delis, then they are edible and worth trying.

Slim earth-friendly cup with cap

Recently, in one of my shelf browsings in the coffee section of Robinson’s Supermarket, I stumbled upon Jardin Café Mori.   I was first attracted to the stack of 4 earth-friendly slim cups included free in the package of 25 sticks contained in a box.  According to the box, there are 3 flavors of Café Mori—French Vanilla Cappuccino, Mocha Cappuccino and Caramel Cappuccino.  Only Mocha Cappuccino was available that time among the flavors.  The box also says that the product is made in Korea. At first glance, you wouldn’t think that it comes from Asia.  I even thought it came from Italy or Spain because of the name, Jardin.  The package somewhat has a European appeal.  The logo looks like a royal insignia-- a coat of arms flanked by two lions.

I was attracted even more when I opened the box and saw the eye candy color of the coffee sticks, it’s a blend of purple and fuchsia—Pursia ( a color name I coined out of necessity).   And there were also red-and-white long stirrers enclosed in the box.  The only thing lacking is the ridged sleeve to spare hands from heat.   But it doesn't matter.  Anyway, you can hold the bottom of the cup to avoid heat.

The box containing the "Pursia" coffee sticks

 

The value of the coffee is in the coffee.  When I poured water over the coffee powder, the sweet-creamy aroma filled my olfactory sense.  I was even more enticed by the "frothy foam that formed" (tongue twister) over the coffee when I stirred it. I covered my cup and voila!  One mocha cappuccino for Maffet!  Right on my office desk.  A great pick-me-up cum wake-me-up treat during the day sans the great price.  A box of 25 sticks costs only P250 or P10 per stick.

I gave some sticks to my colleague, Ira, and she too liked it.

Ira, looking awake and enjoying Cafe Mori, one sleepy afternoon in the office

Smurfs: Magnified

Smurfs are the well-loved blue elf-like creatures of the Hanna-Barbera cartoon series that reigned in the boob tube during the ‘80s up to the ‘90s. 

The Smurfs' happy disposition in their little mushroom village and their adventures in trying to flee away from the evil wizard, Gargamel, glued the viewers in front of their television sets, which were not yet the LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or LED (Light Emitting Diodes) types on those decades of family entertainment.   Now, what will happen if those tiny blue creatures reach New York City by accident, or is it fate?  It is truly an exciting adventure that will set the viewers on their seats in fluctuating anticipation.  



Before I discuss about the NYC adventure of the Smurfs, perhaps you might be interested to know the demography and etymology of these little ones.

Firstly, what’s all the fuss about Smurfs?  Can you tell one when you see one?

How to Spot a Smurf

These little characters are three apples high, have blue skin and are dressed in white trousers and a cap. They are a happy, easy-going bunch.  The Smurfs also speak a very strange language. Some words and verbs are replaced by “Smurf”.  Instead of saying, “You messed with the wrong girl”, they would say, “You smurfed with the wrong girl”.  Just like what Smurfette said in the 3D movie version.

Smurfs, The Beginning

Peyo, the creator of the Smurfs

In 1947, Belgian cartoonist Pierre Culliford, a.k.a Peyo, created a comic called Johan et Pirlouit,  about a young boy and his boastful cheating yet faithful dwarf sidekick.  On October 23, 1958, in the ninth issue of the comic, the duo met tiny, blue-skinned creatures called "Les Schtroumpfs."

First appearance of the Smurfs in the comic Johan et Pirlouit, 1958 (Image via Lambiek.net)

These creatures, which later became the Smurfs, were such a hit that they got their own comic series.  The Smurfs became a worldwide hit after Hanna-Barbera featured them in an animated series in the 1980s.

Although their creator, Peyo, died on Christmas of 1992, the Smurfs have never been so popular. 

 

The Eternal Smurf

Smurfette, Papa Smurf, Baby Smurf and other Smurfs

These little people who resemble kids are actually 100 years old! Papa Smurf, with his white beard, is the oldest of all. In October 1958, when the story first appeared in "Le Journal de Spirou", he declared that he was 542.  Smurfs never get older.  So Baby Smurf will eternally be a baby.  As for Smurfette, no one asks how old she is.  Even Smurfs have etiquette, they know it's impolite to ask a lady about her age.

Papa Smurf

The oldest of the Smurfs and the wisest of them all.  With his Smurfly wisdom, Papa Smurf concocts potions and creates spells to save his fellow Smurfs from all dangers.  He was the one who smurfied Smurfette from being an ugly clay by-product into a beautiful bombshell. 

Smurfette dressed and posed a la Marilyn Monroe

Smurfette—the most famous Smurf character aside from Papa Smurf

The evil sorcerer, Gargamel, the arch-nemesis of the Smurfs, magically created from clay the first female Smurf, Smurfette, to cause jealousy and trouble among the all-male Smurfs. But his plan backfired: Smurfette turned out ugly, only when Papa Smurf took pity on her and did some plastic smurfery that she turned into a blond bombshell. Smurfette gave her loyalty to the Smurfs.  In the original comic, Smurfette left the Smurf village to restore peace and all-male status quo population. However, in the ‘80s worldwide hit cartoon TV series by Hanna-Barbera, she settled in the village and became a permanent character.

Recording artist, Katy Perry (Just Dance, Teenage Dream, Firework, etc.), provided the voice of Smurfette in the 3D movie.  She said she was excited to dub for Smurfette, since the lady Smurf fits her personality.

Vanity Smurf

Did you know that there is a gay Smurf?  With a flower in his bonnet and a mirror on his hand, Vanity is the Smurf that cares the most about his appearance. If he lives in the present day, he would be the "metrosexual" Smurf.  Delicate and sensitive, he spends his time talking fabrics with Smurfette and keeping his complexion fresh. And he wants to smell good all the time. 

Clumsy Smurf

Clumsy, the hero in the 3D movie version of the Smurfs, was not an original Smurf character.  He was not among the original list of Smurfs which includes Baby Smurf, Brainy, Cook Smurf, Farmer Smurf, Greedy, Grouchy, Handy, Harmony, Hefty, Jokey, Lazy Smurf, Papa Smurf, Poet Smurf, Smurfette.  Apparently, Clumsy’s character was created for the movie version, to be the savior of the whole of Smurfdom from being annihilated by the evil, Gargamel. 

Smurfs Music 

Music provided the next big step for the Smurfs when the Dutch singer Vader Abraham released the first Smurf single. It was a massive hit in Belgium and Holland, followed by the rest of the world.

Smurfs as Icons of Social Relevance

In a gruesome short film by United Nation Children’s Fund (Unicef), the Smurfs were used to raise money for the rehabilitation of former child soldiers in Burundi.  The Smurfs were shown as hapless victims of aerial bombardments!  

The short film opens with the Smurfs dancing hand-in-hand around a campfire while singing the Smurf song. Bluebirds peacefully fly over and fragile rabbits playfully run around their mushroom village.  Suddenly, fiery bombs from the sky shot and pierced the ground and begun the destruction of Smurf life and properties.  It was a merciless air raid! The deafening whistling bombs scared the little Smurfs who helplessly scampered away from the blinding blasts and explosions.  

The final scene shows a scorched and tattered Baby Smurf sobbing inconsolably, surrounded by lifeless Smurfs who were lying flat on their faces.

The final frame bears the message: "Don’t let war affect the lives of children."

Only people with iron hearts would not be moved by this Unicef advertisement.

 

Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation Send Smurfs to the Big Screen

Smurfs theater billboard

Columbia Pictures and Sony Pictures Animation bring a live-action animated Smurfs project to the big screen. According to Columbia co-president, Doug Belgrad, they were very excited to introduce a new generation to Papa Smurf, Smurfette and the other smurftastic Smurfs.  The new generation surely will love the little characters (who aren't growing up), whom their parents, aunts and uncles grew up with.

Smurfs:  Synopsis of the 3D Movie

Gargamel (played by veteran actor, Hank Azaria) found the hidden village of the Smurfs and inflicted destruction on their homes and tried to kill them all with his magical powers.  As they escaped, Clumsy erroneously led the bunch to a forbidden cave. They reached the deadend of a cliff and Gargamel was behind them.  They saw a shining portal in front of the cliff, scared as they are, the Smurfs had no choice but to jump into the portal, lest they fall into the hands of the evil wizard.  The other side of the portal led the Smurfs to the Central Park in NYC. They were amazed at the city structures, a lot different from their mushroom village.  

Smurfs emerged  in Central Park from the portal

Gargamel and his cat, Azrael, were able to follow them through the portal.  In a series of chase, the Smurfs were led to the product launching affair of Anjelou, a cosmetic company in which Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris of Doogie Howser M.D. and How I Met Your Mother), an advertising executive, works under his mean and demanding boss, Odile (Sofia Vergara of Papi Chulo and Modern Family).   

Patrick pressured by mean boss, Odile, to come up with advertising campaign in just 2 days!

Clumsy, escaping from Azrael, accidentally entered a box of Anjelou cosmetics.  The other Smurfs heard Clumsy's cry for help but before they could approach the box, the unknowing Patrick had picked it up.  The other Smurfs jumped over the roof of the taxi hailed by Patrick.  Patrick’s pregnant wife, Grace (Jayma Mays of Glee), first saw Clumsy in their comfort room, chased by their pet dog.  Meanwhile, the other bunch of Smurfs have managed to enter the couple's apartment and were  discovered by Patrick in the living room. Shrieks of surprises filled the apartment.  When everyone was composed, Patrick consented to Grace’s plea to let the little people stay with them. 

The Smurfs in the couple's apartment

Gargamel was hell bent in finding the Smurfs, he roamed around NYC until he found the Anjelou building.  He went in and spoiled the beauty demonstration of Odile but he transformed the hag mother of Odile into a young sexy vixen.  Odile tried to buy out Gargamel's secret of 'youth'.  She did not get it as Gargamel saw Patrick and ran after him, he knew he was the guy with the Smurfs.

Odile negotiating a deal with Gargamel

The Smurfs wanted to go back home and were determined to find a stargazer to tell them the direction.  Patrick helped out by searching for blue moon in the internet.  Out in the city in search of a stargazer, the Smurfs caused a stir in the toy store and Gargamel found them.  Series of chase ensued and the Smurfs were able to escape from Gargamel, with the help of Patrick and Grace.  In a night of rejoicing in the apartment, dancing Clumsy accidentally stepped over Patrick’s laptop and sent the wrong ad to the advertising agency.  The next day, Patrick was in dilemma when he saw a picture of a blue moon, instead of his product ad, appeared in the electronic billboards of NYC.  Odile told Patrick to fix it or else, he’d be fired.  Clumsy admitted his guilt and Patrick was furious with the whole Smurf bunch.  Grace pacified him and he was won over.  Patrick just explained to Odile the relevance of Blue Moon moments.  But he was not safe yet.

The Smurfs tried to look for the Book of Spells that will help them open the portal towards home.  They took a train ride in the Times Square station and went to Wong’s Bookstore, where they were discovered and trapped by Gargamel.  Papa Smurf was captured by Gargamel who planned to extract the old creature’s essence to make him the most powerful wizard in the world. Clumsy did not give up, he was determined to save Papa Smurf.  So, the Smurfs, together with Patrick and Grace, looked for Gargamel’s hideaway which they found in Central Park.  Patrick and the male Smurfs fought with Gargamel while Smurfette freed Papa Smurf who was set in the extraction laboratory.  Smurfette had to fight with Azrael in order to achieve her goal.  After difficulties, she was able to subdue the evil cat of Gargamel.  Papa Smurf and Smurfette joined the rest of the Smurfs in fighting Gargamel.  

Grouchy Smurf

At first, Gargamel triumphed over the Smurfs, but then Grouchy, aboard a toy plane, snatched the magic wand which fell in the air.  The wand slowly descended and a heart-throbbing anticipation silenced everyone.  Clumsy aimed to catch the wand.  Papa Smurf believed his vision that Gargamel will be victorious.  But Clumsy was determined to save the Smurfs, as if suspended in the air, he ran, jumped and fell to the ground but was able to obtain the wand away from Gargamel’s hands.  Clumsy gave the wand to Papa Smurf who broke it, hence breaking the powers of Gargamel who was thrown away into a pile of rubbish in Central Park. Papa Smurf apologized to Clumsy for not believing in him. 

Brainy smurf

Everything went alright, Brainy had opened the portal again through a spell from the Book of Spells while the fight was ongoing.  The Smurfs jumped one by one into the portal, not forgetting to thank Patrick and Grace. 

Patrick was not fired by Odile.  The blue moon appeared clearly in the sky when the portal was opened by Brainy.  The people at Anjelou thought it was part of the product campaign. So, the advertisement mistake turned around and was well-liked by the patrons of Anjelou products.  





The film credits showed photos of Grace who has given birth to a baby boy, he was named Blue.   

Positive Quotes from the Movie

I would like to share the positive thoughts that I was able to catch while watching the movie.

Odile to Patrick:  Nervous energy is good energy (at work).

Odile to Patrick:  The fear of failure is a fabulous motivator.

Grace  to Clumsy:  Nobody is just one thing.  You can be anything you want to be.

Patrick to Odile:  I wanted to give you what you want.  Instead, I gave you what I thought was right.  Blue moon.  Once in a blue moon.  It is only once that something wonderful or magical happens to you, if you hesitate to take it, you might miss it.  Don’t let those blue moon moments pass you by.

Papa Smurf to Patrick:  The best decisions are not done with this (points to the head), but with this (points to the heart), where it matters most. 

Papa Smurf to Clumsy:  I owe you an apology.  I’ve always believed in visions that I forgot to believe in your ability.

Smurfette to Azrael:  You smurfed with the wrong girl!

Just like with other good things, there are negative reviews about the Smurfs-- on TV, on print and in movies.  Let us not focus on the bad side of things.  For all we know, there is no bad side in the first place. Instead, let us reconcile with the child in us— innocent, humble, trusting, never cynical, cheerful and does not pollute the mind by misjudgments of other people.

Life should not be made complicated.  It could be as simple as the Smurf song.  Lala-lalalala-la-lala-la-la…

My Own Pieces of Renoir

My inclination to the arts started with doodles when I was a child.  When I was in grade school, one of my hobbies was making comic strips.  I’d create story plots and expressed them with drawings. Most of my drawings are people and places.  I used ballpoint pen and newsprint to make the ‘comics’.  My classmates, especially the boys, would rent my comics for a few cents during recess.  And they would look forward for the continuation of my comic series. Funny, I earned from the rental fees that my classmates paid me.  I was an accidental entrepreneur at a tender age! 

In later years, I kind of stopped writing fiction but my artistic left hand continued with its strokes.  First, I was into charcoal painting.  But then I craved for color in my works.  So I started using watercolors and pastels.  I later developed my comfort with soft pastels.  I found it easier to blend and the strength of color is not overwhelming.   Most of my subjects are people-- in their candid moments. My feminine and child subjects are a way of self-expression-- a depiction of my thoughts, feelings, moods and sentiments.  I usually elaborate the details of the facial expression and sentiment of my subject person.   And I surround them with nature—flowers, trees, sky, grass.  My affinity to nature also inspired me to try painting landscapes.

I have completed a few works when I stumbled upon certain paintings from Webshots, a Wallpaper website.  I noticed some similarities of said paintings with my works.    Like my own works, said paintings featured people—especially children, girls, women, and landscapes too. 

Young Girl in Blue Hat

Poor Little Rich Girl

The Umbrellas

Two Sisters in the Terrace

By the Seashore

Girl with Watering Can

Two Girls at the Piano

One coincidence, I made a charcoal painting as gift to my bestfriend who has a twin sister.  They both love playing the piano.  So I made a painting of two sisters, one is seated and playing the piano keys while the other one is standing beside, as if looking at the musical sheet.  I titled my painting, Twins at the Piano.  Then, I stumbled upon a similar painting entitled, Two Girls at the Piano.  The scene is very much the same with my own painting. 
 
I'm not sure if my bestfriend was able to keep the painting I gave her.  I don't have a copy of it, but I still remember the details.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir

I later discovered, that the painter of the works I liked in Webshots and that of the Two Girls at the Piano, is Pierre-Auguste Renoir, a French impressionist painter of the 1800’s.  His works are known for vibrant colors.  His style--instead of mixing colors, he used several brush strokes with different colors, and the eye of the viewer "mixes" the color. 


Renoir thought that "a painting should be a joyful thing, pretty and pleasant".  He lived that philosophy in his works.

It’s inspiring that my own works have semblance to the masterpieces of the great Renoir, at least to my eyes. :)  Though I never made reference to nor imitated his style, our works coincidentally both have bright colors and conveyed the same impressions and subjects.  Maybe some unknown cosmic force serendipitously blew the inspiration of Renoir to this side of Asia, and centuries later, breathed it to an ordinary girl with ordinary artistic talent, but with great appreciation of the arts.   Renoir died December 3, I was born December 2.  It was just a matter of time zone, that connected through centuries.  ;)))  Nuts?...It's a simple wishful thinking!....:)))

Girl Picking Flowers (My work)

Renoir's Femme-Cueillant-Des-Fleurs (Girl Gathering Flowers)

Young Girl by the Fence (My work)

Young Girl with a Parasol (by Renoir)

 

Banks of the Seine (by Renoir)

 

Little House on the Meadow (My work)

I don’t get to paint nowadays because of my corporate work.  But the creativity lives inside me and is quenched by looking at great masterpieces, like the beautiful works of the great Renoir.  

Renoir's The Ball at Moulin de la Galette, sold for more than USD70 Million in 1990

The LVVV

This story is not in any way related to Louis Vuitton.

Not this LV

Some ten years ago, I went to Vigan for the first time.  It’s the quaint Spanish-inspired capital city of Ilocos Sur.  Once you set foot on the cobblestones of Calle Crisologo, the heritage street near the plaza and the cathedral, you will feel an air of nostalgia, eventhough there’s nothing to be nostalgic about.  Probably it’s because of the city’s ambience—a classic Spanish colonial city. 

Calle Crisologo with its cobblestones and ancestral houses

The Vigan Cathedral is made of stone and steel and has stood there even before the Spaniards came to colonize the Philippines.  The ‘calesa’ or horse-drawn carriage is a means of transportation to roam around the vicinity, especially for tourists.  The tapping of the horse’ shoes against the cobblestones of the quiet street creates a sound, as if from the past. The calesa passes by ancestral houses and mansions made of mix wood, brick and stone structures and ‘capiz’ (a type of sea shell) windows.  Often, the front yards of the houses are adorned with mahogany benches with humongous wheels and exquisite carvings.  Sometimes, there’s an iron canyon in the yards, adding a more pre-war period touch to the sight.  It’s even dramatic to tour the street at night, with lamp-lit posts that cast shadows on the cobblestones.  The atmosphere is quite eerie and if your imagination is wild, you may sense the animated spirits of the Spaniards and the locals who inhabited the place in the 18^th century.  It’s a perfect setting for a beautiful nocturnal movie.

In the morning, the vicinity transforms into a festive mood.  The local entrepreneurs in the plaza are stirred to business.  One’s visit to Vigan is never complete without having a taste of the city’s famous ‘empanada’ (collapsed sausage and vegetable-filled pastry), which is different from the regular empanadas in Manila.  Vigan’s empanada is always made fresh, only fried when the customer orders.  The filling is a mixture of Vigan skinless longaniza (sausage) meat, whole egg, shredded green papaya, bean sprouts, carrots, garlic and seasonings. The pastry shell is made of rice flour that is kneaded to a thin crust, ‘achuete’ oil adds a yellowish-orangey color to the dough.  The filled crust is shaped into a crescent and then deep fried in cooking oil.  You eat the still hot empanada with a seasoned vinegar dip.  It tastes so good!  The experience of eating Vigan’s empanada is not authentic if you don’t eat it in the plaza, near the cathedral. Dine-in tables and benches are set up in front of the plaza, with busy sellers frying empanadas on copper pans over pump-up gas stoves.  You cannot take home the empanadas to Manila, it’s freshly-made and preservative-free, it may become stale during the trip home.  And if not stale, it gets soggy when it’s cold.  So Vigan’s empanadas can only be truly enjoyed in Vigan, nowhere else.  

The vinegar used as dip for the empanada is unique in taste.  It tastes like local wine—a little sweet with a hint of alcohol, with spices.   On our way home, our car passed though a highway, the roadside lined-up with vinegar, garlic and onion vendors.  We stopped over to buy some ‘pasalubong’ (take home products).  I wanted to buy a bottle of vinegar for my mom.  She’s fond of dips and condiments.  The vinegar bottles were recycled rhum bottles.  

The LVVV

I scanned the vinegar products and as I offered the peso bill as payment, I happened to look at the face of the peddler, a boy of about nine or ten years old.  His old shirt with large green stripes was paired with faded school-short pants.  His skin has been darkened by the sun, his hair needed a haircut.  My gaze lingered on his very angelic, almost pleading eyes.  He looked haggard inspite of his young age, I felt pity pinched my heart.  When he was handing over my change, I smiled at him and signaled that he keep the change.  His pleading eyes lit up, and a shy smile surprisingly peeped through his pale lips.  He did not say thank you, but I did not mind.  A genuine smile is another good way of saying thank you.  I wanted to ask him if he was still into school, but I decided not to, because I was sure he was not. 

When our car drove off, I threw one last look at the little vinegar vendor, he was arranging the rows of bottled vinegar over the peddling table.  And that was my vivid memory of him.  After a week back in Manila, I got my sketch pad and oil pastels and painted the vinegar boy the way I remembered him.  I titled my painting, The Little Vinegar Vendor of Vigan (The LVVV).

When I think of Vigan, the face of the LVVV, although already blurred in my memory, goes with the thought.  I hope he has a sweet life now.

Candy Candy!

One of my favorite stores in Binondo is Shin Yi Long, a Chinese bakeshop in Benavidez Street.  I used to feast my eyes on their colorful cakes decorated with slices of fruits with syrup glaze and multi-color chocolates.  The cakes are artistically designed.  The chiffon base has fruit bits and the icing, glaze, fruit and candy decors are not too sweet.   

 The bakeshop also sells different breads and pastries. 





















Lately, my gaze is caught by another eye candy.  And literally, it’s candies! Oh, such cutie candies!

Lollipops shaped like slices of orange and lemon.

 



















Grape and orange jelly candies in ‘cute face’ wrappers.  

More jelly candies in different shapes and designs!  


Banana jelly candies with cutie faces.

Assorted jelly candies with shapes of bear, blue whale, and an unidentified animal, is that raccoon?

There's something naughty in this jelly bear.  I gave this to a colleague and she was giggling when she showed me the naughty part.  I let out a snicker and said I didn't notice it when I got it from the candy shelf. :)


 




























The candies are so cute.  I bought a load.  I enjoyed some and gave the rest to loved ones and some colleagues at work. 

Candy Therapy:

Focus on the cuteness of the candy, the shape, the color, the wrapper.  Do not think of anything else but the candy.  What taste do you expect?  Fruity, sugary, sweet-sour?  Then lick it, bite it, chew it, play bounce off your teeth, relish the sweetness, never leave the moment and watch until the whole candy is consumed.  There, you have forgotten about your blues for 5 precious minutes.  That’s priceless!