29 January - Life skills

I was having three separate conversations with three different women this week, all were around cooking. Albeit, they were all surprised that I knew how to cook and I myself was surprised that they were surprised that I knew how to make a meal. I'm not proclaiming that I should go and enter and Iron Chef competition but I always thought Filipinas, more so Filipina Mothers and Gradmothers were the best cooks in my culture. Mind you my Lola (God bless her soul) was anything but traditional...she didn't know how to cook, it was my Great Grandmother who taught my Mom how to cook.

These new found friends of my mine are all smart and down to earth girls so I had generally thought all Filipinas that is, traditional Filipinas know how to cook after all I beleive this is a necessary, basic lifeskill...as my husband would say 'if you don't eat...you die' so in order to eat there are only 2 ways I know how. Take out or cook your own food. By the way this is by no means an insult to anyone who doesn't know how to cook, I just found it interesting that's all.

When I was asked where I learnt how to cook, I replied 'watching my Mom', again I was surprised when they said, thier Mom's don't know how to cook either. I was then wondering, who cooks in the house hold, your Dad? I know my Dad knows how to cook but it's primarily my Mom who is the Queen of her domain...the kitchen.

I remember so often my Mom who used to work as a legal clerk in the city and then an EA would often leave instructions for me and my sister (we being the eldest) to cut up vegetables etc so that all she had to do when she came home was cook it. I used to watch her (still in her suit with an apron over it) a lot and how she used to put the ingredients together and when it came to dinner time...my parents always insisted we eat together as a family. So dinner was not only to eat but a chance for our family to spend time together.

The older we got, more often than not we would be in the kitchen helping Mom chop up the ingredients and actually cook the food. When we were young adults, we already had our own speciality dishes...

Me - Pancit and Palabok
Joyce - Pizza and Spring Rolls
Alex - Bistik and Kaldereta (Kambing)
Teens - well I'm proud to say my baby sister was the best of us lot - she was the Chef! She can cook anything and it was delicious from entree, mains and even dessert!

I'm still left wondering who did all the cooking in thier household though...surely they don't all eat out all the time? Then I thought to myself...the 'Yaya' (Nanny)? I thought they only looked after the kids. I should have asked them that question at the time.

You know I've only been here for a little over 4 weeks now...I got my visa for the next 2 years and the motherland is actually growing on me. Who knows I might even grow to love it as much as I love home. For now though I'm loving the fact that I've met knew friends, learning more about my background, my new home and cherishing these idle times.