Perfect for a Rainy Day

The rainy season has made a comeback in this side of the world. And while citizens from the Americas are still soaking up the sun in their little bikinis, we're trudging through rain soaked (or flooded) streets to get to work or school. I think all of us are hoping that the storms that are about to pass through are nothing like Typhoon Ondoy. That's an experience we'd rather be without.

But let's not dwell on the dreary aspects of the rainy season. Rain clouds are dreary enough for all of us. Instead, let's talk about something that I find cheers everybody up whenever it's brought up: food!

Rainy days usually remind me of one thing: Champorado. Watching the heavy downpour from the window and hearing the quick rush of the wind through the trees always makes me think of how rainy days were back where I grew up. It's grown to be my kind of comfort food. It's the food I can't help remembering during cold days when the sky is grey and there's nothing else to do but wait for the rain to pass.

Champorado, according to the not-all-that-reliable Wikipedia, is a chocolate rice porridge. It's warm, it's chocolatey, it's gooey, and it's delicious. With a dash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar mixed in, my taste buds are ready to rock and roll.

Best eaten with Tuyo, in my opinion. There's something about the contrasting flavors of the sweet chocolate and the salty dried fish that just seem to go together, I really can't explain it. I have a special way of eating this combo, too. Developed through years of practice, of course. A lot of people have their own methods of partaking of this delectable treat, but I think mine is the best. And it comes in three easy steps!

Step 1. Scrape off the scales of the Tuyo and pick apart into little bits.

Step 2. Drop the little pieces into the Champorado.

Step 3. Mix the Champorado and watch the little pieces disappear. 

And eat! The eating becomes more exciting because you never really know if you've gotten a bite of Tuyo until you've tasted the salty surprise. Awesome, right? 

Champorado is awesome all on its own, but what makes it such an amazing snack for me is the warm, fuzzy feeling it brings with every bowl. 

How about you? What's your favorite comfort food?

How I'd Live If I Lived Alone

I've never had an opportunity to truly live by myself. My parents have made living at home far too comfortable that I never really had a need to live away from home for more than weeks at a time. The only time I did live away from home was during college and I was under the eyes of my mother's sister, who lived near my school. I take that back, my sister and I lived at my aunt's so I don't think that counts as "living alone" since I was with my sister. But anyway, sister or no sister, those years were fun. It was in those years of living with my aunt for most of my schooling that I felt the freedom of being able to go out and not have someone asking what time I'd be home and of being able to do some things the way I wanted to. I guess that's why I always seem to be thinking about living alone. I miss that little freedom that I felt when I went to college. I figured, if I felt that way under adult supervision, how much more if I really was living all by myself? So here are the things I imagine I'd be doing if I lived alone. Cue harp music, blur, pan up to the heavens…and go.


I’d be a great cook. Here's the scenario. I have a few friends over in my apartment for a semi-regular movie night. While they're poring over a movie, I'd be in my little kitchen cooking up something delicious that they'd all be raving about once they've tasted the first bite. Beyond the semi-regular movie night, I'd be cooking meals for myself and for anyone who visits me and I would love it. I'd cook bacon and eggs and French toast for breakfast, and learn how to make lasagna (my childhood favorite) and sinigang and kare-kare, and practice baking cookies and brownies and pies for dessert. I'd have a growing collection of recipes and though it would be a struggle to learn how to cook by myself, I'd be surprised and delighted to find that I am actually succeeding. But if that doesn't happen, I could always live on instant pancit canton and Ramen noodles. Oh, and Ma Ling. 

My dinner guests will be like Dora's backpack. 

Omnomnomnomnom. Delicioso!

I'd sit in the living room with utility bills and a calculator. Because I'm not good at math, I'll probably be spending an hour or two of my weekend figuring out how to adjust my budget to accommodate the rent, food, electricity, water, internet, and all kinds of bills. I'd also contemplate on getting a part-time job so I could afford to buy stuff that I want, like shoes or the occasional electronic device and plane tickets.

I would definitely be making emergency runs to the grocery because I keep forgetting to keep track of the food in the fridge. Or the toilet paper. Or shampoo when shampoo bubbles just won't do (putting water in the bottle more than twice will only yield slightly soapy water, I know that for a fact!) and other important items in a home that one absolutely cannot live without. These grocery runs will happen regularly because I have yet to master the art of inventory.

I'd be scared out of my wits due to the fact that I am living alone. There will be nights when I will suddenly realize that I am a sitting duck, completely vulnerable to dangers both internal and external. I will worry about robbers, rapists, murderers, swindlers, ghosts, bangungot, accidents, and other situations that cannot be dealt with alone. What if I choke on my own deliciously baked lasagna/pancit canton? Can you do a Heimlich maneuver on yourself? To somehow make me feel like I've found a remedy to this problem, I'd probably buy myself a cute puppy to act as my playmate/companion/guard puppy.

Hello, emo puppy. Would you like to live with me? 

I'd prefer the apartment to be like the homes of the Koreans I see on TV, where everything is near the floor which, more often than not, is spic and span. I'd keep a tiny broom and dustpan handy to keep my space as tidy as I can. Wait, who am I kidding here? I live in creative chaos. Rewind. I'd keep a tiny broom and dustpan handy so I can keep the space from being too...unruly. I'd also have a desk where my laptop and all other hobby things are stationed. The closet, however, is an entirely different story.

I'd ask someone carry a spare key on their person at all times in case of emergencies. Someone I know who would be there if I found myself locked out of my own place. Probably my sister because it's impossible for me not to even consider her. If I had a boyfriend, I'd probably ask him to do that, too. The bottom line is that there will be times when I will be locked out of my own home even though I know that that's a stupid thing to do. I need people to look beyond the stupidity and just help me out when I need it.

I'd keep beer in the fridge. You never know when you'll need 'em, really. In good times or in bad, there's always a reason to chug down a chilly can of beer. YES.

Golden gift from God! Get in my belly! 

I'd probably walk around in my underwear. Because I can. I don't need to explain myself further. My place, my rules. Walang basagan ng trip, k?

I'd dream about the things I’d decorate my place with. There are already pictures of bookcases, chairs, utensils, hammocks, and desks that I've reblogged in my Tumblr account for future reference. At the rate I'm going, my apartment will probably be filled with objects and furniture that are unique and interesting on their own but have absolutely nothing to do with each other. I imagine that it will be an eclectic mix of cute little trinkets and I'd be perfectly happy with them. 

I'd be sad and miss the feeling of being comfortable at home where everything is free and everyone is familiar. But I will remember that there is a different kind of free that I yearn for and that will make me feel better until the next time I miss everything all over again.

Every family is a little messed up in one way or another. 

But they're still family. 

All of the things I mentioned are rather...idealistic, so I don't really expect that living on my own will turn out the way I'd just described it. I probably sound like a teenager, don't I? Gushing about living on my own when some people would much rather live with their families. Most people probably think that I don't need to live away from home to be able to do some of the things I just described. And they're right, I don't have to. I guess the defining factor between doing these things at home and away from home is that I'd be dealing with everything by myself, and that I have no choice but to deal with things by myself. That thought alone is daunting, especially for a bunso like me who's always had kuyas and an ate to call when things got tough. But there's no harm in imagining a life where I'm self sufficient and strong, right? There's really no harm in day dreaming.