The Bachelor

Last night I heard the sweetest sound I’ve heard in months, my son snoring like a man already…and my wife too, also snoring like a man.  It’s been only 3 months I know, and because of this experience I’ve got new found respect for my Dad and to other parents who is or have worked abroad.  It takes a lot of courage to put one’s self in that position and get to see their loved ones only a few times a year.  I really thank God I didn’t get to spend Christmas or New Years here without my family.  I’m sorry Dad for not talking to you on the phone one Christmas night about 10 years ago, now I understand why Tom and I got an “angry” letter from you later on. 

For three months and a bit, I got to experience how it was to be a bachelor again.  We went drinking almost every Friday night to take advantage of this club’s $1 Coronas.  It was awesome that we only needed $10 each to get smashed, and we have this running joke that we tell each other off once we’ve had too much.  After a huge night of binge drinking, we end it with an exclamation point through an upsized BigMac at a McDonald’s near the train station.  Yes, I felt and acted like a teenager.  The during parts were actually fun, but the after parts I didn’t like at all.  Aside from the expected hangover tomorrow, I just hated going home and sleeping without my family beside me. 

I can’t believe it either but I wasn’t that excited about the weekend anymore.  I just didn’t know what’ll be fun to do without getting homesick.  My cousins always provided “entertainment”, and my heartfelt thanks to them, but it just wasn’t the same.  I didn’t enjoy going to the shopping centres that much and it sucks when I see crying little kids and their pissed off parents.  I want to be that parent!  I miss chasing after Lean when he runs hysterically toward the arcade and I miss going to the groceries with Trini.  I didn’t enjoy family gatherings that much because someone always has to bring their little kids with them and I can’t show them how I proud I am with mine.  Ate Joanne and Tita Ming made great dinners, and I miss how Trini makes sopas more “interesting” by putting in extra celery.  Kuya Jojo downloaded all this great movies we can watch every night, how I miss not enjoying a movie because Lean is so makulit. 

I believe that frank once again did it for me.  He made me experience how “great” it is to be a bachelor again.  How it felt not having responsibilities again, how it is to drink like a maniac again, how it is to be “free” again, and how all of it wasn’t that fun anymore.  I just realize that once you finished a certain stage in your life, it’s best to just look back at it and proceed to the next one.   

So yeah, thanks again Frankie.

Lamb n’ Taters

Living alone in the apartment for almost a month, I have been doing what I think other single men have been doing for themselves and wishing women would do that for them every night, when they get up in the morning, or even when their parents are around…cooking!  You actually thought it’s about sex or wanking didn’t you?  You know, pounding the meat?  Spanking the monkey?  Playing with the dolphin?  You hound dog you…

Bored people tend to try new stuff and cooking is way cheaper than buying and building a new tamiya RC car kit (which I always wanted to buy since high school).  Food is relatively cheaper here and you can find a variety of ingredients in local groceries so it’s a good place to start learning how to cook!  You can still find almost all the vegies (like ampalaya) and weird animal parts (like “tuwalya” for kare-kare) we Filipinos love to eat at Springvale and Clarinda markets and you can also find all the seasonings we normally use in the Philippines like Mamasita mixes, Silver Swan toyo, Patis, at Filipino shops also at Springvale.  I thought I’d miss Lucky Me! Pansit Canton, we ate that once for breakfast at Kuya Anjelo’s house…OOOH YEAH

My first attempt was cooking one of the most basic meals I can think of, breaded fried chicken.  Easy right?  Wrong!  You know why?  Because I am an idiot.   And also because the chicken legs I bought were humongous and it’s hard to deep fry the whole thing.  But I have eventually mastered the art of frying and will post that later on once I feel like cooking chicken again.  I also had a few tries on some other meals but I didn’t realize back then that I could blog about it so I’d just treat them as test runs.  Without further ado, here’s my recipe for the best lamb chops and mashed potatoes in the entire state of Victoria. 

LAMB CHOP 

First you need, of course, lamb and for the marinade you will need soy sauce, bbq sauce, minced garlic (I just like using the bottled ones for the extra garlic juices!) and black ground pepper. 

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