Happy tumble



V Day this year, was spent at our usual Thai restaurant. We ordered the specials (and wished we hadn't as the regular menu was way better), and had two glasses of Thai iced tea each. We would have gone for ice cream afterwards, if it wasn't freezing. So we ducked into a 99c store, and I felt, very strongly, that I had to buy something. So I got a box of rolled wafers with hazelnut filling. Later that night I had the whole box and didn't share. It was delicious.



The next day, at church, I filled in for the Praise and Worship team's absentee guitarist. I had a blast, but kept it to myself. It's ironic how at a time when I'm struggling to keep a hold on my faith, I've been going to two churches (attending two services, listening to two sermons, having communion twice on first Sundays). I'm the organist at the first church and fill-in guitarist for the second. If it weren't for music, I'd be wallowing in sin. Ha! I've been earnestly listening to the sermons (well, actually, at the first church I've been struggling to stay awake) and trying to push my doubts and skepticism away. Sometimes I feel like I'm radiating sinner vibes. Hello! This one here sitting in the third pew! Not too sure about the God thing!



At my sister's birthday dinner, we had valenciana, sarciado, menudo, carne frita, pineapple beef, and palabok. I love Filipino food. What we lack is presentation. We just don't have time to bother with garnish and stuff like that (Although I do enjoy looking (not eating, not a fan) at a plateful of palabok rimmed with slices of hard-boiled egg). Philippine cuisine is built on ingenuity. It's substituting whatever is on hand for unavailable or expensive ingredients. Although it's loosely based on Spanish cuisine, it's very different, possibly because of the way we improvise.



Last night, the cousins came over for pizza and Coke (in 8-oz. bottles, like ye olden days) and we watched Jeopardy, Wheel of Fortune, Fear Factor, and My Big, Fat, Obnoxious Fiance, in succession.