Happy Easter!

inspiration from the lovely Rook no. 17 :) do check out her site!

its more fun!

hi y’all!  i will be on and off in the next few weeks because i am off today to spend a month long holiday with my family back in the Philippines.  

wweeehhhh! 

i will see you when i see you! have a wonderful christmas, stay warm and think of this:

rock the wedding

“Do you remember the 21st night of September?
Love was changing the mind of pretenders
While chasing the clouds away
Ba de ya, say do you remember
Ba de ya, dancing in September
Ba de ya, never was a cloudy day…”
-- September by Earth, Wind and Fire

it was one beautiful September day in the Mons Calpe Suite high up the Rock that we stood as witnesses to new friends’ K and L’s wedding.  it was just so romantic!  you see, they just came to Gibraltar to get married! 

they exchanged their vows under the hot summer sun with a panoramic view of the Rock, Spain and Africa and a handful of tourists who clapped their hands after the minister said, “i now pronounce you, man and wife. you may 
kiss the bride…”

a few weeks later, we received an unexpected gift from them (yes, that’s how sweet and kind and thoughtful they are!)

inside was an authentic Oktoberfest beer mug and a jar of the most interesting bon-bons we’ve ever had.  also written on a postcard is an invitation to visit them in Hamburg!

the mister and i just love these bon-bons :)  i am quite sure there is a hint of ginger in the yellow ones and heat-packing cherries in the red ones!  VERY unexpected flavors bursting in your mouth AND very addictive too!

take your pick!

fantastic 4

happy everything on our 4th wedding anniversary :)

two is better than one

"life is two-riffic with twins!" -- author unknown

we went to the mister's cousin's twins' christening the other day and boy were they soooo cute! 

just look at baby M here getting ready to be splashed :)  that's her mom W holding her :) sorry for the dark pics by the way and the red eye.  i didn't have time to reset my camera.

below is the lovely family :)  the twins have an elder sister, C in her lovely pink dress and pigtails and she wants to be in on the action too :)

we had cake after!

baby S is hungry

 big sister C biting her nails

here i am carrying and cuddling baby M, after playing with my hair she promptly fell asleep :)

i just love babies!  they are sooo cuddly like marshmallows and they smell like one too :)

calentita, calentita, calentita

(warning: sort of a long post)

calentita is Gibraltar's national dish and also the name of its annual food festival held every beginning of the summer.  this year, i attended my first calentita and not only did i stuff myself into gastronomic proportions (get it? hehe) but also met some amazing people :) 

pretty much this is what a real calentita (see below) looks like.  its a simple "bread-like dish made of chickpea flour, water, olive oil and salt and pepper" and is heavily influenced by the many people that make up Gibraltar long ago.
it is also very similar to the Italian farinata so i am guessing that the very first people who introduced this would probably be the many Genoese who lived in Catalan Bay in the 18th century.

because this festival is gaining popularity over the years, it has now spilled out to Market Place (from Casemates Square) to accommodate other activities such as poetry reading, all kinds of dance, the fine arts, and of course the usual arts and crafts stalls

i am fascinated by this man.  he has a very distinct character!  just look at that hat.. and the brogues!  what a very good subject eh?

okay, on to the food!  the most sought-after stall with the longest queue would hands down be the Moroccan with its popular pinchitos :)  

pinchitos are skewered, barbecued beef or chicken marinated in Moroccan spices.  these are the mister's favorite and since he couldn't attend this year's festival because of work, he asked me to buy a few for him :)

inside these white-domed tents are gastronomic delights from all over the world!  calentita also celebrates food from around the globe representing everyone that has either visited or stayed in Gibraltar.  one of my favorites is the Malaysian food stall with its perfect Malaysian laksa and Kung Pao chicken and Malaysian curry!  manned by the owners of Fusion Deli, this place is not to be missed!

vegans and vegetarians need not feel out of place because there is a stall especially just for them :)  likewise for those with a sweet tooth (err.. with a little piece of pizza thrown in maybe? a confusing sign!)

 bratwursts anyone?

the German stall with its equally long queue!

another one of my favorites is the HongKong Dim sum stall!  oohhh i can still taste the sio mai, the crispy wontons, and the spring rolls!

what's a gibraltarian food festival without a celebration of its own desserts?

 and of course, spanish tapas!

and the best the UK has to offer!

funny stall name but they are actually raising funds for a charity :)  buy a ticket and you can win  a bag of sweets or something :)

aaahhh now to the best part :) i stuffed myself silly in this stall!  they all have my favorites but maybe because i was so homesick of Philippine food that i didn't notice the food was a bit "toned down".  the distinct Filipino-ness was missing (imho)...

but any which way, i bought two of everything for the morning after :) two empanadas, two ensaimadas, two vegetarian lumpias, two pancit, two cassava cakes, two fried rice, etc.

some of the lovely filipina ladies who made the food were from Spain but just look at all those people still queu-ing up!  

live, love and eat!  Wolfgang Puck couldn't have said it more succinctly :) 

daddy cool!

Happy Father's Day to all the cool, selfless dads out there!  (belated...aherm) 

i called my dad yesterday to tell him i love him and as usual there was a catch in his voice and a silly half-laugh that is his trademark.  before he said he loves me too, he told me first how much he misses me there.

my dad's the coolest :)  i've written a lot about him but i am going to repost my favorite here.  later, i will go to the beach and touch the sea, remembering how he first taught me how to swim when i was a young "warthog" :)

(bowl cuts were the rage back then *sigh*)

The Heart of My Father

18 June 2010

My dad turned 66 the day we arrived from far, far, away. It was a low-key affair and the usual suspects were in attendance. At last, the magic circle was once again complete. At last, he was surrounded by the most important people in his life. He was basking in our love. His smile lit up all of the 7,107 islands. 

But what makes my dad special isn’t his smile. It’s his heart. My father’s heart is anchored firmly in the heart of God.

Let me walk you through some of the reasons why my dad rules:

Leadership - We grew up with a “man in uniform”. His word was the law. (of course, this was before we all knew that “behind every successful man is a woman”) He made us see the importance of wise choices and good decisions. But this doesn’t exempt him from washing clothes (by hand!) and cooking for the family.

Compassion - It comes naturally for him to empathize with the aggrieved, the downtrodden, the broken-hearted. Many a time that he has given more than what was expected (especially at Christmas). Many a time that he has invited people we don’t even know to a family meal. 

Generosity - If you ask for a kilo of lanzones (local tropical fruit), he will bring home a crate! If there are bananas or mangoes ripe for the picking, everyone in the neighbourhood gets a bushel! He insisted we bring back a carton of mangoes but I explained the fines we would have to pay in immigration!

Discipline - He made us even prouder of him by quitting smoking recently because he said he still wants to live a little longer to enjoy life with my mom and us and his grandchildren. His willingness to learn at his age is commendable! When we were younger, he admonished us not to swear because nothing good ever comes out of it. It is one of his lessons I remember the most even until now. (although, over the years, my cursing has evolved and has become sophisticated and reserved only to those who truly deserve them)

Resourcefulness - My dad can make a dish out of nothing. He can build a bed out of wood scraps. He can fix a leaking nipa (thatch) roof as fast as an artisan. He can handle a group of carpenters until the wee hours of the morning. To us, he is the man to rely on.

Time - My dad is a master in the art of listening. However stupid or silly or trivial your concerns are, he is always there to listen. Once, I thought my world as a teenager has crumbled because of a stupid haircut and he patiently listened to my rantings all the way home and reassured me I still looked cute. My uncles run to him for a good old man-to-man talk over countless cups of coffee.

Friendship - Now that we are older and have left the nest, my father has found the gift of unconditional love from our beloved pets, Max, Boots and Porky. Everywhere he goes, they all follow (except Porky who’s a poor excuse of a guard dog, but he tries, really). He is very active in his senior citizens group and has become an officer in our neighbourhood association. His friends keep him busy but he also has his “me” time at home playing Solitaire.

Care - When I was in college and was rushed to the infirmary because of an asthma attack, he was there reassuring me everything was being taken cared of and that all I have to do is get well. When I accidentally “stabbed” him in the hollow above his eye and my mother tried to talk sense into me by threatening to send me to jail, my dad reassured me he wont let that happen and if I could just please apply more antiseptic to his wound. 

Fun and Laughter - We had a lot of good times with my dad when we were little. I remember he used to give me and my sister piggyback rides even when he was so tired from work. His most famous trick was for us to get the 1 peso coin hidden inside his closed fist. There were few victories for us that time. But boy, was it fun! We also watched movies together. I learned to love old movies from him. Going to the beach is something we looked forward to even until now that we have our own families (Joaquin loves the water). 

His love for my mom - My dad is not the most perfect father in the world. He has made many stupid mistakes and bad decisions in his life. But one thing no one can ever surpass is the love he has for my mother. He is cheesy when it comes to telling my mom he loves her (we cringed at one point) but he says it and then my mom transforms into a young lady again. They make a good team. 

Himself - Even greater than my dad’s gift of love and time and everything else combined is when he gave the gift of himself. He is a funny guy when you get to know him. In our family he is known as “The Joker”. He is quirky when it comes to his flip-flops. He wants it only in one brand and only in one color: Spartan, size 9, yellow. Although lately he has moved on to his trusty Crocs and a pair of Adidas running shoes for his morning walks.

My father is an ordinary man with extraordinary powers. I don’t think he could ever be a Renaissance man nor a fashionista or even an activist. But from his love and his life, we discovered our purpose, identity and true worth. Family is very important to him. He draws strength from that. He understands that in order for him to be a good father to us, he first needs to understand what kind of father God is to his children.

Pa, you know you are loved beyond measure. Happy Father’s Day Gar!

Royal heebie-jeebies

Gibraltarians were hit with Royal fever last monday when their Royal Highnesses the Earl and Countess of Wessex (aka Prince Edward and Countess Sophie) strutted their stuff in John Mackintosh Square as part of the Queen's Diamond Jubes celebrations.  he is the third son and fourth youngest of the Queen and Prince Philip.

red, white and blue was the color of the day and you don't have to be "bri-ish" to feel the "britishness" in the air :)

i am not really a "Royal-ista" but i just love the fact that they are so approachable and so simple in their ways.  which brings me to the following absolute truths (according to me):

(1) the ultra, mega, super rich and powerful look so simple and so natural!  the Countess Sophie only had on a simple ecru dress and pearl earrings.  effortless beauty! her make-up is soooo "less is more".  love it!

(photo courtesy of Gibraltar Insight magazine)

again, here she is soooo elegant in a bonbon shade of rich cream.  very simple but she somehow oozes some kind of quiet charm and power.  love it!

(photo courtesy of Gibraltar Insight magazine)

(2) the ones trying so very hard to look rich pile on more and more stuff on themselves that they look completely opposite of what they want to appear to be!

i was sticking my head out of the window just to get this shot.  he is my first Royal after all :)

last night, after a parade for the Queen's birthday, her image was projected on the north face of the Rock as part of the Royal visit (for the benefit of Spain perhaps?).

(photo courtesy of Mark Galliano)

(photo courtesy of Jason Fa)

the Diamond Jubilee flotilla in Gibraltar

as a nod to Britain's rich maritime heritage, Gibraltar's flotilla last Monday sailed into history as a 100-strong motley but majestic crew of vessels of all forms and sizes sailed around Gibraltar Bay tooting horns and making noise as proof and proclamation that Queen Elizabeth IS Queen of Gibraltar.

there might well never be another Diamond Jubilee in the next decades to come so the mister and i made sure we were part of history in the making :) we took to the high seas as well and joined in the Ocean Village flotilla :)

here we are aboard the Dolphin Safari boat (normally, this is a tourist boat) on our way out of the marina to join the flotilla

an impressive profile of the Rock; it does take your breath away looking at it from afar

 we love this yacht! with its captain and crew in Gibraltar's national costume

aarrrrrr! a pirate schooner :) can you see the skull and bones flag?  too funny!

 thumbs up to this lovely blue fishing boat displaying its national colors

a Royal Navy ship

two kayakers joining in the fun

 our dream yacht :)  the sleek Sunseeker (someday!)

even the Oil Spill Response Team took time off to have some on-board party!

 we saw the crew of this cute fishing boat passing round a bottle of bubbly!

can you see the spectators?  Gibraltar folks cheering on the flotilla as we near Europa Point

on our way back, still making some noise :)

champagne in honor of the Queen!  cheers!  here's a short video of the event so you can have an idea how it all went :)