It's been more than two-months of 'horrendous' Malay, Indian, and Chinese catered foods in De Casalle, and in school. Every time I masticate a few chicken wings drowned in curry sauce, or suck chinese noodles + atmospheric air = uncomfortable tummy, or smell the agonizing stench of chilli paste made by the Indonesian maid inside the condo, or vitiate my appetite with chicken rice immersed in ultra-hot-and-spicy chilli sauce, my stomach just turns upside down. Twirls and curls and deflates, a gastronomic disaster, in extreme wretchedness.

Of course everything aforementioned is ninety percent exaggeration, but really, the catered food has been very unappetizing. They are edible, and in a way they provide energy and nutrition enough to suffice for a hard day's work in school. However, as a foreigner, my taste buds were designed in such a way that they are unable to withstand Malay, Chinese, and Indian food astringencies.

*******

Mechado, pork adobo, brown rice, fried lumpia, fruit salad, pop cola, fish ball ala Pinoy style, valenciana, and coca-cola in a 1.50-litre glass bottle.

Now I'm eating real food. Filipino food.

Today was my second cousin's baptism, and of course, as usual, after the baptism rites in church, family members stretching as far as the third and fourth extensions of the family tree gather together to celebrate and welcome another child to God's family. And as usual, everything culminates with a food feast. Best part of the whole tradition is the food. I have always been proud of my stomach's amazing ability to stretch itself like a rubber band and accommodate tons and tons of food without getting fat. And so today I grabbed the chance to eat as much as I can.



Nothing's more satiating than a home-cooked, home-style, Filipino buffet.

Hope to get a few bloated cheeks this holiday. Facial cheeks. Not the other cheeks you're thinking about.