Looks like everyone is still recovering my the Christmas ('Pasko' in Pilipino) holidays, which included lots of family reunions and parties that involved lots of eating.
For me, while I am home in the Philippines having a vacacion grande, enjoying my favorite pastries and cakes is always part of my itinerary. Since I go home only once or twice a year, I always indulge on the best pastries of the islands and not worry about any weight gain. After all, life is short. And so is my Christmas vacation. Ha-ha-ha!
For all Filipino balikbayans like me flying into the archipelago during these holidays, spending time with family and seeing old friends are a priority. That's why most of the time I just stay at home and stay close to the dinner table. Close to my Felicia's chocolate cake, brazo de mercedes (thanks, Tita Gamay!), home-made ham (thanks, Tita Helen!), napoleones (from Roli's) and some other pastries, that is!
(Felicia's chocolate espresso cake)
(Felicia's chocolate cake and macaroons)
Although it was mostly good weather during the holidays, a visit from Typhoon Seniang didn't dampen the spirit of the islands; only the travel plans of those wanting to go back to their provinces. I would have wanted to visit my cousins in Iloilo City had the typhoon not cancelled the ferry trips between Iloilo and Bacolod City.
(Arroz valenciana on a celadon plate
from Eden's Pottery in Itaewon)
(Dark clouds of Typhoon Seniang)
Well, as I am about to end my vacation here in the tropical temperatures of the Philippines, I wish to tell all my friends back in Seoul that I am not yet too excited to join them in the freezing temperatures of winter. Here, I wear shorts everyday! Ha-ha-ha!
(My mom prepared her traditional fruits
for the new year)
(Fireworks on new year's eve at the city plaza!)
(I forgot the official name of this Felicia's cake,
but I can't forget the yumminess!)
And although I landed in the Philippines with a minor medical problem a couple of weeks back, I wish to fly back to Korea without a hitch, and without an excess baggage charge. I hope my eardrums would hold up on my next flight; I should write and thank the NAIA3 doctor and nurse who gave me some medical assistance at NAIA3 on my next blog.
(Napoleones from Roli's)
(Pancit malabon from El Ideal)
(Brazo de mercedes with extra filling)
And on this first blog of the year, I wish everyone a safer, more prosperous 2015! Let's all learn the mistakes made in the past years, and make sure they don't happen again. And I am not talking about weight loss diets. Ha-ha-ha!
Happy new year, everyone!
(Blue tropical skies over my city!)
Yes, it is absolutely more 'pan' (bread) in the Philippines, so to speak!
Most Filipinos have sweet tooth. And I am one of them. Like everyone else, I grew up enjoying different kinds of breads, cakes, and other sweet pastries and delicacies.
(As usual, my domestic in-flight snacks of
'salab' and mamon from El Ideal)
That's why when I fly home, I make sure I get to enjoy all of them, plus a few other favorites. I really don't mind gaining more weight. After all, it's only my luggage that gets weighed in at the airline's check-in counter, and not me. Ha-ha-ha!
(Brunch at Bizu in Greenbelt 3! Thanks, Tina!)
(Macaroons from Bizu!)
And while I usually enjoyed chocolate cakes, brazo de mercedes, ensaimadas, fruit cakes and other sugary recipes on land, I also bring my own snacks on my flights back to Manila and then to Seoul, to make sure my enjoyment continues...up there at 30,000 feet, or higher!
(Puto kutsinta and
ready-to-fly-to-Korea ube halaya!)
(Dolor's sapin-sapin and
Cafe Mary Grace's chorizo and green olive pasta!)
My check-in luggage would always be full with sweets, aside from my clothes and toiletries. Perhaps, if the Customs would x-ray my suitcase, they'd always find that half of it is garments, and the other half is...diabetes. Ha-ha-ha! But I can only bring so much, which would only last for a couple of weeks.
(Checking in my luggage with all my brazo de mercedes and sweets; my weight allowance was 30 kilos.)
(A sunny afternoon flying out from Manila to Seoul)
(The best in-flight snacks ever: turon, sapin-sapin and Jamaican beef patty. And soda with ice, of course!)
But thanks to thoughtful friends, I am able to enjoy these goodies in Seoul a few times in a year. And just last week, I enjoyed the best cheese rolls in the Philippines again! Thanks to Cielo and Mary Grace for bringing me some Mary Grace cheese rolls, suman and banana chips. A shout-out also to Marlu for the Salazar hopia, which I'm digesting as I upload this blog. Ha-ha-ha!
(And maybe Salazar hopia and
Bizu macaroons before landing.)
(And I won this pouch during CebuPac's in-flight game!)
Just like the cool spring weather in Korea, these delights are always welcome any day...and night! I sometimes microwave a piece of the ube-pinipig suman for midnight snacks! The cheese rolls were reserved for breakfast and a pack of the Salazar hopia was for afternoon snacks.
(Mary Grace cheese rolls arriving in Seoul!)
(Mary Grace cheese rolls as breakfast in Korea)
Although there are also a lot of sweet delicacies and fancy pastries here in Seoul, having these goodies I enjoyed growing up is an entirely different thing on its own. The local desserts and snacks here just can't compare.
From ensaimadas to otap to piaya to panara; let's throw in bibingka, barquillos and empanada, puto manapla and hopia...I could go on and on, but I'm salivating now! I have to stop! Ha-ha-ha!
With all that variety of baked, steamed or fried goodies, it's indeed more pan in the Philippines!
(Mary Grace goodies arrive in Seoul!)
