The path to Manhood

My NZ experience has been a character defining experience so far. I've always wondered what it would be like living 'alone'. Having spent 28 years under momma's roof and 1 year under my in-laws roof, I should be ready. Growing up in a 2 bedroom apartment I never really had much personal time and space. It is the first time ever for me to truly have a PERSONAL pc ( Dell laptop).

I've always felt like a kid back in the philippines having people do things for me. I always had my parents and recently my wife to help me decide on things. I've grown dependent on their inputs that it had impaired my evaluation skills. The root cause of my pre-wedding jitters was probably due to the fact I still feel like i'm a kid, not man-enough to start a family of my own.

Being autonomous in NZ exposed my weaknesses on different areas. I am now slowly working on them, one weakness at a time. I can now cook edible(?) food, Wash and Iron my own clothes. I've learned to take care of myself, because if I don't... nobody would.

Absolute freedom. No social obligation/s to dictate how your day will be spent. I enjoy my weekend mini-adventures to wherever-my-bus-pass will take me. I enjoy my weekly where-will-these-2-malaysian-officemates-take-me-for-lunch-this-time food trips.

I enjoy my new found youth as well... let me explain back in the philippines people assume that i'm in my mid-30s or sometime in my 40's. Here in welly people ask me if i'm over 25 and if I have driven before. Ika-nga ng sikyu ng university namin dati eh... “Batam-bata... sariwa.”.

I have never experienced this much personal growth in such a short time. It's not easy as sometimes it does get painfully exhausting. Longing for my baby and specially my wife. Missing my parents my siblings and my “yaya” as well. Loneliness, it is the reason why I wake up with heartache 7 days a week.

Hopefully by the time that my family joins me here in welly I would have completed my transformation from being a big kid to becoming "da Man”.

Kitchen Prodigy

Today marks my 2nd month stay in NZ ! Time flies indeed. I spent my first christmas and new year, outside the pinas, here in wellington. We've been getting nice weather here..6 out of 7 days a week... ganito pala ang summertime dito ! Parang baguio pero malamig pa ng kaunti !

I'm proud to say than in my 2 months stay here, I have always prepared my own breakfast and lunch. I started making sandwiches before going to work initially, did it for 2 weeks... lost a lot of weight !! I'm not a sandwich/bread type of person, even in manila i preferred rice+ulam for breakfast.

The main reason for preparing my own food is its really cheaper to bring-your-own-baon. Lunch or Dinner will cost you 7-10 nzd ,burger joints being the cheapest. Other sandwiches can be 3-4 nzd but the serving/volume is ideal for breakfast only. So In a day you could spend like 25 nzd x 7 days = 175 nzd/week.

Then I figured, since I'd be frying the cold cuts why not fry pork/chicken/lamb/beef instead ? On the start of my 3rd week, I bought some pre marinated lamb shoulder chops. Not a bad start.

The art of frying

On the 4th week I tried chicken. My mother taught me: High heat for fish so the skin will not stick to the kawali (non teflon) and low to medium heat for chicken so the inside will cook and the outerpart doesn't overcook.I got the chicken frying thing figured out on the 4th day.... Days 1,2 &3 the inisdes were slightly raw. Good thing there is microwave in my office.

The Adobo incident

Prior to coming to welly, my wife was insistent that I bring some pinoy recipe books to NZ. She said, it will be one of the few things that will remind me of home. She was right.

Having 4 weeks of solid kitchen experience under my belt I decided that its time for me to actually cook. Adobo sounded easy enough, browsed through the book and found the recipe on page 1.

Ingredients were readily available (dahon ng laurel= bay leaves ). Went shopping the following day to look for Vinegar. Bought this australian made vinegar and soy sauce ('Basic' brand), pork and some chicken. Easy-peasy-Japaneasy !

Started cooking, 30 mins into it and everything looked right and smelled right. Come tasting time something wasn't quite right. Hmmmm.... Is it me or does my adobo taste like battery fluid ??

To be certain, I asked my ex-cop flatmate (Manila's Finest) to taste my adobo. One look at my flatmate and you can tell that he's a tough guy. You can actually tell from his expression that his tastebuds were violated as he politely tried not to spit out my adobo.

I asked him.. "Adobo-con-motolite ba ?" he nodded, went away and didnt speak to me for the rest of the night. I was right ! Battery fluid like indeed. Torture grade recipe... Hitler would've been proud. I wonder if i can sell my recipe to the CIA, NBI.

Cooking 911

Fortunately, My other flatmate remedied my adobo and it actually became edible.

Stubborn, I bought another batch of chicken and cooked adobo again.. slightly altering my ingredients I bought Asian Vinegar and Soy sauce this time. Success was inevitable it Looked right, smelled right and tasted right.

Having a high cooking morale I decided to do something else. My beef mechado I got it right on the first try. I've been having mechado for two days already and that will be my breakfast tomorrow.