Signed, sealed, delivered I'm yours

We started ordering books online and purchasing them after the lockdown last year. Rolly's and my initial orders were from Shopee, but when the five or so books arrived, we felt dismayed when we saw they suffered from water and soil damage. I immediately wrote to the publisher to air our complaint. Promptly, they sent replacements in good condition.

Two weeks ago, I decided to up the ante by trying out the online store of Fully Booked where I found a single hardbound copy left of Anthony Bourdain's World Travel (on top of the bestseller list in Singapore, but that's Sg for you), Aimee Nezhukumatathil (give me a few weeks to learn how to pronounce and say her last name correctly) and her World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments and Patrick deWitt's French Exit. I opened an account with the store, provided my basic details, particularly shipping address. I took a long, hot shower, addressing God and asking Him to affirm my decision to put my hard-earned pension money in new books. I told friend Gou de Jesus of my bathroom conversation with the Almighty, and she laughed and said it's not as if I was buying lipstick and makeup. And even if it was, it was still my money. Anyway, after five days of anticipation, an LBC delivery man handed the package. So excited was I to rip open the plastic bag that I suffered a paper cut as I was turning the pages of a new book. Shallow lang naman. Hmm, I think I have a conflicted relationship with money. But yesterday, after a hearty comida china, I whispered to Rolly, "Aren't we going to drop by Mt Cloud Bookshop?" He had offhandedly mentioned the previous day that he wanted to look at what's up on their Filipiniana shelves. So off we went, getting our temperatures checked at the shop entrance and filling up the forms for contact tracing. The price to pay in order to browse inside a physical space.

I always like looking at the secondhand hardcovers near the entrance. I suspect most of those books come from the library of filmmaker-art buff Perez Butch like the Bruce Chatwin title I happened upon. Chatwin is one of the best, if not the best, travel writers in the world. Gou will attest to that. I was drawn to the cover of Loot and Other Stories by Nobel laureate for literature Nadine Gordimer. It was a painting by Georgia O'Keeffe. It's not that I can afford to spend all day in the book alcove of our home like a lady of leisure. I have official writing, editing and transcribing duties to do, not to mention researching historical images for a picture book. Then there's the laundry and the cooking chores that are the bane in the life of every full-time homemaker. But these books balance those other things off. They give me something pleasant to turn to when the quotidian is close to suffocating me.

April showers, finally

Image sent by Carmencita Sipin Aspiras

In the part of Baguio where we live (15 minutes away from the central business district without traffic), we have been experiencing daily afternoon rains, including one heck of a thunderstorm, since April 15. We, the home-bound family members, could almost hear the plants and trees going glug glug glug as they soak in and store the water. The rains last, like the trip to our neighborhood to and from town, 15 minutes tops, enough to cool the air for Baguio has also been feeling the stifling humid air that lowlanders complain about.

I received a lot of encouraging feedback from blog readers about my April 12 entry here about watching our grandchild and the garden grow. Psychologist Yoya Bulatao, who I finally met at a Fully Booked writing workshop that Neni Sta. Romana Cruz and daugher Aina organized over a year ago, cited my grandchild Kai as "the most interesting flower of all."

Pianist Carmencita Sipin Aspiras wrote from far California, which has not been spared of drought, and shared the above photo that warms me to the tip of my toes as I like to write with feet unshod. She wrote: "What a refreshing topic! And so apt for Spring. Lucky Kai will blossom into a beautiful person as she is nourished by your and Rolly's love in the form of a lovely garden." The image she sent me looks like an illustrated cross-stitched quotation.

Thank you, Heavenly Gardener, for listening to our pleas for rain.

It happened Sunday last

Old-young media pal Fe Zamora posted this pic of me at work in Twitter; it was also retweeted by the Inquirer Group. The many stars it got, to mean that particular tweet was "favorited" (equivalent of the "Like" button in Facebook), again proved that social media can reach many people, all unknown to me. I should take a tutorial with Fe sometime. Thanks, pal! Photo by Fe Zamora

The event at Fully Booked's flagship store in Bonifacio Global City that Fe was referring to in her "Happening now" tweet Photos by Babeth Lolarga

This is how much I over-prepare for workshops. The plastic bin is packed with paper, envelopes, art materials, a silver bell that I ring when the time is up for an exercise. The pink bag is my book bag of references that I share with participants in case they finish their work early and have time to browse through the books. As for the ladybug, I like to put an element of surprise in my workshops.

Nice mix of young and aging adults, all professionals, some retired but refusing to describe themselves as such. To me that's a good thing--it just means they haven't given up on life and learning.

By your students you'll be taught. The combined wisdom of these women busy on their exercise for the afternoon will astonish future readers. One of them cancelled a trip to Sri Lanka because of a foot injury and signed up for the workshop instead.

Exercising another part of the brain by hands-on art-making makes every workshop more fun. A participant discovers how liberating to use a simple exercise like making a series of frottage to find the words to write.

Happy colors, happy person, the kind who can write lightheartedly and humorously about the series of falls that had happened in her life. May this recent one be the last. A seatmate and friend told her, "No more falls. I don't want to be visiting you in the hospital every time."

Like visiting the city of love (Paris), handwriting a letter to someone special is always a good idea.

Class picture with our principal Neni Sta. Romana Cruz (seated, leftmost) and the 15 participants. Photo by Aina Cruz

While the workshop kids were busy, the girls in the staff and two observers caught up with one another's life and gossiped delightedly. From left: Neni, Fe, Babeth and Glenda Garcia-Togonon, legal counsel of the Philippine General Hospital. Photo by Nikolai S. Agcaoili

Mariel Francisco has a workshop coming in March. Save the date for those who are keen to know about the seven stages of life and how awareness of these can ease you into writing.

Finding Your Voice, Leaving a Legacy

Visit http://www.write-things.com/CreativeWritingClassesforKidsandAdultsinManila/ to reserve a slot.

New books by women not only for women

From the inbox once again, these announcements:

WHAT READERS ARE SAYING:

"Claire's mom is not a tiger but a quiet silk butterfly, strong as steel, dignified, influential and full of amiability. One can discern that the author's sensible advice is borne from a mother who has reflected deeply into what makes one successful in an uncommon definition of the word.

"The exuberance of heart, thoughtfulness and affection in Lim-Moore's book leave the reader with the soaring feeling that what people care about is who you are, and that what is important is how you help others. A stunning debut."

"A mix of childhood memoir, immigrant experiences and mother knows best — such as fitting in at the new school and not forgetting where you came from — the book takes you through a roller coaster of emotions that leave a lasting warmth in your heart."

"Ostensibly, Don't Forget the Soap is a memoir, and an entertaining one it is. Having said that, I could just as easily group this special little volume among my collection of parenting books. Why? Let's look at the facts: the author is a Yale-educated corporate executive who seems to enjoy juggling her career and family, likes to throw in community service and politics for fun and somehow finds the time to watch tv and write this book. As a woman, I want to know how she does it. As the mother of two daughters, I would like to know how my girls could do it too. Lucky for us, Ms. Moore shares with us the secret of her success: practical advice from her fabulous Filipina mother. Well worth the read and future re-reads."

Marie Claire Lim Moore* is a Filipina-Canadian-American working mother and author of Don’t Forget the Soap. After spending the early part of her childhood in Vancouver, Claire moved to New York City and attended the United Nations International School. She went on to study at Yale, climb the corporate ladder at Citi and travel around the world. She met her husband, Alex, while working in Sao Paulo, Brazil and they married in Manila, shortly before moving to Singapore.

Now Mom to Carlos and Isabel, Claire also manages the Global Client business for Citi in Asia. She enjoys juggling career and family and likes to throw in community and politics for fun by campaigning for US political candidates, fundraising for organizations that advance the role of women in business and promoting foreign direct investment in the Philippines. She is also a guest contributor at Sassy Mama Singapore.

At the center of many good stories – inspiring, entertaining, admittedly corny–is Marie Claire Lim Moore. Ask her about the time she and her family sat down with former Philippine President Corazon Aquino. Or the time she built houses in Mexico alongside former American President Jimmy Carter. Equally engaging are her every day experiences and perspective on
life. You will be interested to hear what she thinks is a relationship “deal breaker” or why Christmas should be regulated or why kids shouldn’t say, “I’m bored.”

After spending the early part of her childhood in Vancouver growing up with '80s sitcoms and Philippine People Power demonstrations, Claire moved to New York City at the age of 12 and attended the United Nations International School where she sang on stage with Debbie Gibson and received her high school diploma from Kofi Annan. She went on to study at Yale, climb the corporate ladder at Citi and jet set around the world.

Don’t Forget the Soap is a collection of anecdotes from different points in Claire’s life: stories from the tight-knit Filipino community in Vancouver mix with memories of her move to New York, experiences at Yale and travels as a young executive. Underlying this narrative is the story of a global citizen who does not want to forget the fundamental values that come along with the “immigrant experience” as she and her husband raise their children in the increasingly glitzy expat bubble of Singapore. Her parents continue to remain a big influence in her life and her mother’s reminders a grounding force. These stories will warm the heart and resonate with people of any culture.

Download the e-book at http://bit.ly/dontforgetthesoap*
Visit the Author's Page at on Amazon.com for more info.

Book launch-cooking demonstration for A Matter of Taste with warm words and delicious food at Cafe By The Ruins, Chuntug Street, Baguio City (across from City Hall) Dec. 12 at 4 p.m.

The book A Matter of Taste: The Culinary Memoirs of Jean MacGarvin de Vera (published by Mt Cloud Bookshop) includes 90 recipes that nurtured her family. The authors are Baguio's Adelaida Lim and Leonisa Bautista.

Jean MacGarvin de Vera is Sing Wei, meaning "good heart" in Chinese. MacGarvin de Vera was born and raised in cosmopolitan Shanghai before World War II. Her mother was from a landed family with properties in Zungkaza, a suburban village where everyone had the same surname: Zung.

Her father was an American engineer-architect in the construction business. After the war, young Jean fled China with her husband and three young children to start a life in the Philippines.

Jean stayed 25 years in California with her daughter, Irene before deciding to retire in Baguio in 2001. At 90, she lives in Tuding, Benguet surrounded by her children, grandchildren, great grandchildren and dogs and pets.

My 2012 Christmas wish list

I guess aging makes one not too greedy anymore, except in my case I'd like a chance to  crack open these two books, a biography and a novel, and read them non-stop during the holidays. I have homework for the holidays, too: reading the PDF file of a friend's novel in draft form.

Reading and reading until my eyes give out--can't think of a more pleasurable and divine way to spend my Christmas break. I don't believe in Santa Claus anymore, but I like the Christ child who listens to mothers and grandmothers.

Images from Fully Booked and Amazon.com

Dining with self and another

On the road back to Quezon City, while the bus was rolling along Scitex yesterday, I received an SMS from a news organization where I freelance for that my check was ready. Needless to say, I got off on EDSA not too far from Vera Files' West Avenue office which it will vacate soon for what I suppose be a better site (old office is on the fourth floor of a building where the elevator hadn't been operating in months). I was able to encash the modest amount, and I headed next to Cubao Gateway where I had three hours to kill before dinner with Rustie old boy, my dear pensionado, retired newsman pal Mr. Otico.

First things first: I bought refills for two refillable sign pens in blue and black ink at the nearest National Bookstore. When I later dropped by Fully Booked and checked out its office supplies, I was dismayed to find that all they were selling were disposable ballpoint pens. And I thought Fully Booked was a more progressive store (they carried Haribon ballpoint pens) than NBS.

The long, five-hour journey from home and not having a proper lunch stoked my hunger pangs so I ducked into what I thought was a familiar sign: Cafe Adriatico. 

Cafe Adriatico's chandelier decked with Christmas lanterns.

I have many good memories of its mother branch that started the whole chi-chi cafe business in the Adriatico Cicle in Manila. So many after-work evenings when a newspaper issue was laid to bed were spent there.

I found a quiet corner and didn't have to study the menu. I have the favorites memorized by heart: pancit palabok to be followed by grilled ensaymada with queso de bola. What I was served did not disappoint. I could've shed a tear from tasting those comfort food after a long spell.

Pancit palabok, perfect comfort food for the hungry traveler

What was left of my grilled ensaymada after I remembered to take a picture of it

While waiting for them to be served, I had time to scribble in my journal to test my renewed sign pens. Solitary dining is a rare pleasure. I live part of the time with my original family--unmarried siblings and mom. The rest of the time I am in Baguio where I share family meals with spouse, daughter, grandchild and our efficient kasambahay Mackenzie. So the times I am by myself, relishing a meal and observing the people and the interiors of a place, are blissful to mind, heart and belly. 

Later, when I had tired myself from window-shopping, which, I must confess, I don't enjoy, I treated myself to a mani-pedi at this Gateway salon called Menage. Meanwhile, Rustie texted that he was stuck in a traffic snarl in Imus, Cavite, and would I mind waiting for another hour? Would I mind if my feet were being massaged and toes thoroughly cleaned?

Then off again to Cibo to reserve our table for three. At 7:30 p.m. exactly, Rustie, to use our common friend Amadis Ma. Guerrero's favorite verb, "sashayed" into the restaurant, aided by his nephew Edmund who will soon enter medical school. Rustie, who had quit the newsman's vice of smoking after his stroke episode over a year ago, confessed that he was so relieved to get off the MRT in time for our dinner appointment that he went outdoors to sneak a puff. Tut tut tut.

Gentle Rustie turned out to be a returning Cibo regular. He knew the waiters by their names, and Thor attended to us, pouring us wine and refreshing Rustie's memory about his favorite pasta dish--linguine with tuna, capers, olives. Hold the chilies, please. 

Cibo's tiramisu, yummylicious to the last crunch

I was happy to see Rustie up and about and going on an "excursion" like last night's. He took his sweet time to sip his glass of red wine before we parted so he and Edmund could catch the last bus to Dasma, Cavite.  I hope to see more of him when the holidays sashay in.

Three satisfied diners: Edmund and Rustie Otico and the grinning blogger

Food photos by Babeth Lolarga

Come Saturday Morning

It’s one of my favorite songs from the decade of the seventies. It was the theme music of the movie A Sterile Cuckoo. It was the theme playing in my head when I had a Saturday well-spent (spent in the literal sense) with my sisters, daughters and niece at this serendipitously named mall-paseo Serendra at The Fort, Taguig City.

It makes me wonder why I have to have an official reason presented to my husband (in this case, I was due for blood chem and checkup with my neurologist and internist at the Medical City)so I could visit family members in Pasig City. I’ve narrowed the two places I visit with some customer loyalty at Serendra: Fully Booked and Cupcakes by Sonja.

I promised by niece Bianca, 6, that I would buy her anything she liked as her prize for turning in outstanding grades in her kinder class at Assumption College Antipolo City. We combed the entire children’s books section. It was my daughter Ida who found her beloved children’s literature characters Madeline and Eloise, and since she’s a kinder teacher and building up her own library, I didn’t hesitate in getting her two titles: Mad About Madeline—The Complete Tales by Ludwig Bemelmans and Eloise in Moscow by Kay Thompson and illustrated by Hillary Knight.

Bianca is a bit like Eloise in that she is surrounded mainly by grownups, except when she’s in school. She can be a smart ass, but as my sister Gigi said, she is not greedy. All of us wanted to buy her something for her remarkable academic performance, but she knew she couldn’t pick anything she fancied. She had to settle for one item from each of us.

So down we went to the art supply section (increasingly a rare section in other stores—there are just not enough quality stuff). She settled for glitter glue and Lyra watercolor pencils which I later showed her how to manipulate.

All that going up and down the multi-level bookstore made us hungry. Consensus for best pick-me-up place was Cupcakes by Sonja where sister Suzy and I chose our favorite lemon-frosted cupcake and Ida had a pistachio cupcake with strawberries and cream. My older girl gave me P500 (which is my affirmation that I must’ve been a good mother because the girls don’t mind giving their jobless mother some pin money).

Somebody had the bright idea of returning to Fully Booked. Big mistake (spending wise) because I ended up charging almost more than a thousand pesos worth of books on Suzy’s credit card.

I shall be armchair traveling for the next couple of weeks with Sarah Turnbull’s Almost French: Love and a New Life in Paris, Caroline Seller Manzo’s Casa Nostra: A Home in Italy and Novel Destinations: Literary Landmarks from Jane Austen’s Bath to Ernest Hemingway’s Key West.

Ida and I are shown perusing our purchases. Photo by KIMI FERNANDEZ