Thursday, December 27, 2007

Do You Know That It's Hard To Cut A Queso De Bola?

Man, I tried it and I almost lost a finger. All I want is a few pieces to go with the hamon we cooked for noche buena. My friend ,J., is apparently adept in doing it. So, he did cut it for me. First, he cut a few centimeters from the top of the ball to make a flat surface, placed the tip of the knife at the center and carved little wedges with the bottom half of the blade. He maneuvered the knife freely, holding the tip with the right hand and sliced across the flat surface. produding small wedges of the cheese.

After my first try, I stood there watching him, gnawing at the cheese bits I got from the top potion that he took out; breaking piece by piece and munching the tiny bits of cheese that came out from the process.

"There's no way I am gonna do that."

No way. I was wincing on the way how he got the tiny wedges. A tiny slip of the knife is an obvious way to disaster. Being the non-health-insured persons in the house, there is no way in this earth that I will repeat his process of cutting queso de bola. Would I take the risk for the taste of pinoy Christmas (that is queso de bola)? No way. I began to appreciate moldy feet cheese anyway since I got here in the US. Roquefort and Gorgozola are the best although they really smell like feet, after wading through the flood waters of Espana. So, I'd better stay in easy-to-cut (safe) cheese. Even the red wax of the queso de bola looks like blood to me. And no, I am not going to Sweeney-Todd my left thumb for that. I

But gosh, its sooo good! Paired with the ham we cooked, the queso de bola was awesome!! It transported me to my childhood Christmas days when we used to spend it in my grandma's house. She loves queso de bola and Excellente ham (which my mom used to get from Quiapo). Her house smells of barako coffee all the time (my grandfather is from Batangas) and Christmas eve is no exception (even though its 12 midnight). After exchanging gifts, we used to sit around the table, grab our share of ham and queso de bola, dip our bread in the coffee and finish it with a mouthful of Christmas fruits (that means apples, grapes and pears. We only can afford to eat those fruits during Christmas).

I never considered it a special treat since we have queso de bola every freaking Christmas and it never runs out until the week after New Year (sometimes I would even give some of it to the cats, you know, just to get it over with). My lola would slice it then into wedges, so I never had an idea how difficult it can be. Not until now. I learned that you have to be, at least, a Benjamin Barker to get a freaking slice of that hard, uneventful, salty cheese.

But, I am glad that we had queso de bola this Christmas. It took away the melancholy of being too far from home. Every bite gave a tiny bit of nostalgia; an illusion of being home, of how life can be so simple and uncomplicated. Those simple bits of cheese on a cold winter Christmas night (that waaas so deep), on a noche buena spend with friends, whom you now consider your family, can make a huge difference.

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Cross-posting is a geek's orgasm

Finally, I get to cross post from my old blog to Multiply! Technology is alive! IT GROWS!

I also got this scripting software from scribefire which automatically posts my blog entries directly to blogger. I hope they have the multiply edition so I wouldn't have to check cross blogging every now and then...

But still, I am happy. I love the internet. Mwah!

I would like to commend, too, the makers of Coffee Break Spanish and Coffee Break French, two of my favorite podcasts in the whole universe. I looove you, guys. They make a relevant Spanish and French program in 45 minutes. They are really great and definitely worth checking out.

I heart Shelfari, too because I don't my books anymore. I know its stupid but I miss my bookshelf at home. I stare at it once in a while and marvel at all those pages I've read and all the books I kept to remind me of the time I lost lurking in the four corners of my room. The lost time wasn't that bad but I should have gone out a lot more during those times. (There are entire summers in high school where I lock myself in my room and read books). Phew, I am such a geek.

This is a test post. But I hope it did entertain...


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Wednesday, December 19, 2007

House of Blue Leaves in Juilliard Drama Theater

Funny, cause we met in the elevator. I was with my friends that afternoon, on our way down from the recital room on the third floor. Alex had his voice recital and the rest of the pinoy mafia in New York gave their support. We were joking and talking in Tagalog in the elevator when Cristina walked in. She was surprised to ride in an elevator full of pinoys.

"San kayo galing?" she asked with an astonished face.
"Dyan lang po sa Cubao," I replied with a sardonic grin.

Along the freezing 66th street, she lit a cigarette, and I gladly joined her. Then, we started chatting. She invited me to her play, The House of Blue Leaves, which I did watch two days after. I was also surprised to learn that she was the stage manager of Magno Rubio, a play I watched back during the summer and which I had penned a review in haste. The review was published in a Filipino newspaper, but I never had a chance to clip.

The play is about a couple, Bananas (because she's a schizophrenic) and her husband, Artie, a zookeeper who dreams of being a songwriter and a hit in Hollywood. It also involves a hilarious mistress, a deaf starlet and a group of nuns. The story was set in 1967, the year the Pope went to New York. Based on the cacophony of characters, it is a farce, satirical at most. The main theme revolves in Art's desperate dream to make it big in Hollywood and how he perceives and eventually deceives everyone so it can be realized.

The actors are awesome! I guess you wont be in Juilliard if you're just a ham. They were really good, aside from being good looking, and I would bet that they will land in Hollywood themselves in the near future. They are from group 37 of the Julliard drama class. Laura Linney was group 19 and no doubt she had a great education from Juilliard. (I just watched her recently in The Savages and in Kinsey. She is simply amazing.)

I had a cig with Cristina after and told me a lot of things about the Filipino theater culture in the city. She used to have a regular job, but, her love for theater brought her and her friends to establish the Ma-yi Theater downtown (where Magno was staged). I also learned that Magno is a pretty old piece: it was shown in 2000, went out, went off-Broadway and garnered 10 Obie awards. The first Magno is a Fil-Am actor who also did drama studies in Juilliard and later, the role was given to Jojo. Paolo was not part of the original cast and Bernardo is a recent addition to the cast, too. It was overwhelming to learn about this things from an insider because I am fascinated with the play. I think it was ingeniously made and kept the Filipino flavor intact. I was almost in tears when I first watched it.

It is really amazing to find these Filipinos in the city, save for the Filipinos who doesn't speak "Tah-gay-log" cause they moved here when they were 15. I am eager to meet the latter to smash their face on the nearest wall. Well figuratively, of course. At least. Hehe. But no, seriously, I love meeting Filipinos bursting with pinoy pride. It makes a positive affirmation that everything is not lost for the country. Just like everyone else who has hope for the Philippines, it makes us feel a little bit better.


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Monday, December 17, 2007

Kinsey

I just finished watching Kinsey, in this computer. In fact, three seconds ago, I clicked the x at the upper right hand of the screen to terminate the program that allowed me to view that amazing film. I cried. I needed some tears and emotion once in a while and the film has provided me more than saline output and nose goo.

So, I've been living my days with films, books, plays interspersed with bouts of medical reading. I figured that since I am still idle, it would be worthwhile to reinforce my medical knowledge by going through all these books and making notes. Medicine has been a hurdle for me. Although, I guess every doctor would have the difficulty of stuffing our tiny neurons with the humongous data about our bodies. The normal is too much to comprehend, and knowing the abnormal is just too much for the human mind. I am speaking for myself here, and as always, there are exceptions of this rule. I am rather in the middle of that normal curve of human intelligence of retaining medical knowledge.

But why these films? These books? Are they worth watching? Reading? At first, they aim to entertain. It was a diversion to greater amount of knowledge I should have, and have always wanted to master, but, the entertainment and intellectual challenge was different, and at the same time, engaging. Medicine is a science, but humanity dwell in these.

As you can tell, I am particularly enthralled about humanities. It's amazing how authors and screenwriters would put it into words and filmmakers would effectively bring music, words and actors together in order for us to feel the emotions and the importance of life, as told in the stories. As a doctor, I encountered stories about my patients when I go to the clinic (I miss those) and it takes understanding and character to really appreciate each tale, to extract human emotion, to understand conflict, suffering and even love.

Going back to film, I identify myself with the Dr. Kinsey. It's more than the sexuality issue, but being a scientist myself, I understand his suffering. It sucks when everyone does not believe in your science. It sucks when someone says that you are wasting your time. I have stayed more than 8 months here in the US, trying to get the science I wanted, and it is just appalling for some people to say that I should have left my profession and pursue a more financially rewarding path. I could have, but ot just don't feel right. Until now, I am just following my instincts, hoping to prove those who believe otherwise that they were wrong. The light is nearer than before. I just hope I can get to the end of it.

I highly believe that Kinsey was a good film. Moreover, I saw it in an appropriate time. My friend here in NY told John Mayer in person, "Your music hits me in the right mood and in the right time," and similarly, I just felt that the movie hit me on the right spot. John Mayer gave him a hug and said, "Thanks, man" and my friend never forgot that encounter.

I need a hug sometimes. Fortunately, my friends have been always good to me and I feel hugged most of the time.

But a lot of "hugs" from books and films like these, especially when I am sitting alone in their Manhattan apartment. And it seems I will never get enough.


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