Four mornings ago, I bought these mongo-ensaimadas from a local bakery where I specifically asked the tindera (saleslady) to get me the ones buried under the bulk believing that the flies swarming inside their crystal estante (yes, the flies were inside already having breakfast ahead of the customers!) have not licked them yet. Before packing them, she bathed the ensaimadas with margarine and sugar.
I noticed that the whole bakery and the commercial spaces selling food stuff in the area were all swarmed with flies, which momentarily led me to think I was in Egypt and experiencing first-hand the Fourth Plague sent as punishment by God.
But I immediately realized there were no pyramids around me and the tindera never had the semblance of Cleopatra, although I felt like the Pharaoh who had to go out of my palace in order to buy bread after having lost all my slaves to Moses. 😂
So, after paying 25 pesos for two mongo-ensaimadas, I walked towards the direction of the Nile River to visit another bakery which, I found out, was also swarmed with local flies. From there, I got me another kind of bread - pan de sal, or bread of salt, at five pesos each and whose sizes I liked better than those costing two pesos because they were bigger and you could spread your butter on a wider surface. This bakery had smaller, pocket estantes where flies had difficulty squeezing in and I observed their tinderas were diligently shooing flies away from the food, unlike the first bakery where flies seemed to be treated as part of the family. 😝
After getting home on foot (I had no chariot since I lost all my slaves and don't know how to drive one), I microwaved the two ensaimadas. But after inspecting a small black spot that I initially thought to be mongo (mung bean), I realized the bean had wings!
Ang ensaimada may pa-aman nga langaw!😡
A fly went home with me!😱
I put the warmed ensaimadas back to the white plastic bag, got on with breakfast and enjoyed the pan de sal instead. And in between bites of the bread with butter and sips of hot coffee, I put myself in the sandals of the Pharaoh and devised a plan on how to tackle this plague.
By mid-morning, I was making calls to the Office of the Mayor to ask which department was in charge of the dirty city's sanitation and of establishments selling flies as foodstuff.
On my first call to the City Health Department using the number I was given, my conversation with a lady, whom I presumed to be a nurse, went nowhere because she told me I was calling 'Maternity'. So, I then thought she was a midwife or she was a pregnant woman who happened to pick up the phone. Maybe she was waiting for her water to break and was just bored, so she made herself useful by answering the phone intended as a Covid-19 hotline.
In the end, when she realized she couldn't help me, she suggested that I visit the City Health Department and speak in person with the doctor in charge. And that was when I had to scold her:
"Ayta. Pakudtu-on mo pa ko dirâ kag e-expose sa mga kagaw niyo? Ano pulos sang telepono?"
"Geez. You want me to go there and expose myself to all your viruses? What's the use of phones?"
The midwife or the pregnant woman, or whoever she was, gave me the phone number of the doctor in charge. Unfortunately, again, 'the doctor is out' - the same words you'd read at his clinic door. His staff told me that he was at a bloodletting event at Barangay 1 in search of blood and probably a nice, free lunch as well.
I then gave the staff the details she needed to know: bakery with flies, ensaimada with a fly, and swarming flies all over the commercial area. And the most important details: my name and my cellphone number.
Yes, I expected the city government to call me back to tell me how they acted on the health concerns I just brought to their attention. (As of this writing, 72 hours since my call, I never received a word from the head of the City Health Department).
That afternoon at around 5, chariot-less but still disappointed, I went back to the bakery and told the owner and his tindera that one of their flies went home with my ensaimadas. I was expecting a profuse apology but instead, he just offered me to refund my 25 pesos or have another bread with the exact value in return.
They almost fed me with a fly, I had to make a trip back to their bakery just to return the dirtied bread, and yet this is the best they could do? 😡
If I were the Pharaoh, other than losing a customer for life, he'd lose his head on the spot and his tindera would be buried alive next to him. I figured he'd need someone to bake him ensaimadas in the afterlife.😹
And since I didn't want to receive a paper bill or coins, which might have been coated with germs, sugar grains and margarine, I chose to receive masa podrida instead.
At five pesos each, I was handed a pack of five masa podrida that also had been licked by flies. I could see there were still flies inside their crystal estante enjoying all the bread on display. There were no more mongo-ensaimada; they all must have been sold already to customers along with a few flies.
Mongo-ensaimadas with a fly exchanged with masa podrida licked by flies. How considerate of them. 😠
I didn't bring home the podridas, by the way. I gave them to a neighbor who didn't know about the story, or about the flies that licked the bread.😂
I waited three days - the period when total darkness covered Egypt because of the Ninth Plague - for me to write about this blog. If Egypt had ten plagues, mine's the eleventh: poor government service and even poorer customer service.😡
It's about the local government that doesn't care about sanitation and health of the locals, and the businesspeople who don't care about the cleanliness of the food they sell as long as they make money out of it.
Now, where can I get mongo-ensaimadas with no flies? 😄
Television dramas from South Korea are a hit everywhere! From Japan to China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, North and Latin Americas, and even in the Middle East, Africa and Europe! Dubbed in the local languages of the importing country, Korean dramas have become so popular it now has legions of fans addicted to these series reflecting the Korean culture and society, loaded with fast-paced writing, beautiful sceneries, latest fashion and whose lead characters are always played by good-looking actors with perfect set of teeth and skin.
Hallyu and Bae Yong-Joon
The Korean Wave or 'Hallyu' as they call it here in Korea, is the term used to describe the popularity and influence of Korean entertainment and entertainers overseas: Korean pop music and singers, movies, television dramas, Korean actors and even products.
One of the most popular Korean dramas that ever hit the Philippines was Winter Sonata, whose lead actor, Bae Yong-Joon, has achieved god-like status in Japan, where women of 'a certain age' (you know what I mean) worship him like, well, a god! They call him Yon-sama, a name that denotes the highest respect. He was the face of Faceshop, which I think, made Faceshop one of the biggest brands of Korean cosmetics that time.
The success of these Korean dramas usually results in a windfall for its lead actors who are offered lucrative endorsement contracts for products marketed in Korea or in another country where he or she has won fans through the drama.
In Seoul, even if you're not a fan, you would still know if the current TV drama is a hit because the lead actor's face is all over the city. Lee Min-Ho, who played Gu Jun-Pyo in Boys Over Flowers, was on posters plastered at donut shops. Other successful actors would be seen on TV selling products ranging from coffee, clothes, make-up, cell phones, apartment units and, of all things, insurance.
K-Pop Music
And aside from the dramas, Korean pop music also has its own following, although it's mostly for the younger generation represented by grade schoolers, teenagers, and fans in their 20's, who I'm sure can always pronounce the tricky Korean names of the individual members of the girl and boy bands. Some solo artists though have unique names: Rain (or Bi in Korean), Se7en (yes, the number) and BoA (not the reptile); and members of boys bands as Big Bang (not the theory) such as G-Dragon and T.O.P., which are easier to remember. I guess since the real Korean names of these entertainers are very common in Korea, they opted for foreign-sounding ones in order to stand out.
And when it comes to naming a group, the talent management companies have to come up with unusual names like Mblaq, SS501, Super Junior, Big Bang, FT Island, CNBlue, TVXQ for boy bands; and Girls Generation, Wonder Girls, Jewelry, Secret, 2NE1 (Sandara Park's group), and T-ara for girl groups, to name just a few, because with so many bands (one debuts almost every other week!), the fans should be able to remember the ones with unique names; although I'm not too sure as to the logic behind the naming of the two boy groups, 2AM and 2PM. I guess they were created within 12 hours of each other.
And when they have cute names, these members should also look pretty and handsome because that's what the screaming fans like. With these boy groups trying to outdo each other in terms of costumes, hairstyle and make-up, they almost look androgynous; while the girls compete as to who has the biggest hair, thickest make-up, shortest skirts, sexiest choreography and catchiest tune. And with some groups having eight or more members, they look like cheering squads on stage, instead of singers. And did you ever notice that all members of these girls bands seem to look the same? In addition to their vocal coaches, costume designers, choreographers and make-up artists, they also have their cosmetic and dental surgeons to thank for.
And speaking of k-pop music, who can forget that song, Nobody, Nobody from Wonder Girls, which was played everywhere? One time, I was on a bus in Seoul when that song played over the bus' radio when I noticed a girl in her high school uniform on the front of the bus moving to the tune while seated with her hands dancing to the choreography. The song was almost over when she realized she missed her stop! She frantically pushed the 'Stop' button and loudly asked the driver to let her off. She did get off, but didn't finish her performance.
Let's go back to the dramas.
Korean drama fans
And just like most of the drama fans in the Philippines, the ones in Korea never forget theTV time slots of their favorite dramas. They either watch it at home, in their cars, at restaurants, at the gym while on the treadmill or at their mobile phones while on the bus or in the subway on their way home.
And for the international fans who can afford, they travel to South Korea to visit locations where the dramas were filmed. Nami-seom (Winter Sonata), Hongdae (Coffee Prince), Namsan Park (Lovers in Paris), and of course, Changdeokgung (Jewel in the Palace) are just a few locations where fans head to. And most of them also visit Namdaemun Market where they buy their Korean drama souvenirs to bring home.
The Philippine-South Korea Free Trade
But one fan in Manila, Cielo, who happened to be a good friend, could not get enough of her idol, Bae Yong-Joon, that she had to ask me to buy his poster and have it sent to Manila in return for a dozen Mary Grace ensaimadas, which she learned was my favorite. I told her the ensaimadas were enticing, but buying the poster would involve a certain amount of embarrassment for me since I was a guy and was worried how the shopkeeper at Namdaemun Market would think of me as I buy another guy's poster. She immediately doubled the quantity of the ensaimadas! And in return, I bravely bought the poster and had it flown to Manila!
With this, I realized that all these years the trade between the Philippines and South Korea actually does not just involve tourism, agricultural products, manpower, cars, electronics, minerals and English lessons. With the involvement of Hallyu, new trading partnerships are created! Though not between huge corporations, it's still a trade!
While Cielo was ecstatic with her Bae Yong-Joon poster, I enjoyed the Mary Grace ensaimadas, which she sent through a friend flying to Seoul.
There may have been other countless trading partnerships between the Philippines and South Korea involving k-pop boy and girl bands, and some Philippine delicacies. The two countries have been friends since 1949, and that friendship, strengthened by economic, cultural and social exchanges throughout the decades, has been even made stronger by Hallyu, Bae Yong-Joon, and some yummy ensaimadas.
(This article was first published by AIM Leader Magazine in January 2011.)
Holidays are over, but the eating isn't.
For everyone, the Christmas holidays gave us a good excuse to eat whatever we wanted, but just because the holidays are over doesn't mean we have to subdue our craving. Life is short, you know. Ha-ha-ha!
So, after the Mary Grace ensaimada breakfasts, we had the local island's Consing's ensaimadas and pinipig to pair with my mom's rich tablea tsokolate.
And after scoops and scoops of pinipig, and bites of ensaimadas, who cares about holidays or diets? As long as you want it, I strongly encourage that you eat it!
Again, life is short, you know. :-)
Who wouldn't be thrilled that, an hour before your flight out of Manila, you could still have a cup of hot chocolate paired with one of the best ensaimadas?
On the day I flew out to Seoul three months ago via the Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, my friend Cielo treated me to a lunch of Vigan longganisa with sunny side-up eggs, and a plateful of stories...at Mary Grace Café right inside the airport!
(Mary Grace cafe's interiors don't
make you feel you're in an airport)
On Level 4 of the Terminal, passengers in the café, who were also flying out to another city, were having ensaimadas, pastas and other Mary Grace goodies that I was sure were so much better than any in-flight meal!
That afternoon, as my plane to Seoul was taking off from the NAIA runway, I was busy burping from the Vigan longganisa and apple pie! And I was probably the only passenger on that flight who was actually carrying in my tummy an excess baggage of Mary Grace café favorites! Ha-ha-ha!
I am now back home in the islands and have been craving for those yummy ensaimadas again. So, when my brother was flying back from Manila via the same terminal, he was able to bring a few boxes of ensaimadas home for me. Thanks to Cielo and her son, Lawrence, who helped me reserve some ensaimadas. I was worried that, since my brother's flight was at night, by the time he got to the airport, those always sold-out ensaimadas weren't available anymore at the airport's Mary Grace café.
And when those Mary Grace ensaimadas finally arrived home, they were paired with my mom's special tablea tsokolate!
A bite of the soft, buttery ensaimada in the palate drowned by the warm tablea tsokolate, so rich and flavored with a mother's love is always a special holiday experience.
(My mom's tablea tsokolate and Mary Grace ensaimadas sitting on our breakfast table!)
And while I am enjoying my Christmas holidays with these goodies, I hope you make time before your departure or after your arrival at NAIA's Terminal 3 so you can enjoy those yummy Mary Grace ensaimadas and other goodies as well!
Either way, welcome home, or have a safe flight!
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!)
