Quote of the Week

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"You know it's love when all you want is that person to be happy, even if you're not part of their happiness."

 -- Jean Zheng

Quote of the Week

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"The magic of first love is our ignorance that it can ever end."

 -- Benjamin Disraeli

Jonny Lang, "Only A Man"

I used to live my life in fear
Was worried all the time
From waking up to laying down
I had no peace of mind
The world became a darkened place
A struggle without end
Although bitter times those were
The days that I had began to understand
I was only a man

I grew up singing songs in church
With questions in my mind
Then turned my back and ran away
From God who gave me life
Then one night his presence fell
I wept and shook and then
I fell down and cried, Dear Jesus, rescue me again
I understand I am only a man

And He said, What will it be now?
Will you choose me or keep swimming up stream now?
I've been inside your head hearing you scream out.
Well here I am, just take my hand and I'll take out
All of the pain and all of the fear
All of the fear

I'll give you my burdens (I'll give you peace)
All of my desires (I'll give you what you need)
Oh, what about these chains, Lord? (I'll set you free)
But they're so heavy (Lay them at my feet)
I'll lay them at your feet
Just promise you won't leave (I'll never leave)
So where do I go from here, Lord? (Just follow me)
(Just follow me)
I'll follow you (Just follow me) wherever you lead
Wherever you lead, wherever you lead

Quote of the Week

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"A room without books is like a body without a soul." 

-- Cicero

Restaurant Review: Ihawan

Category: Filipino
Neighborhood: Woodside
4006 70th St
Woodside, NY 11377
(718) 205-1480

4.0 / 5.0 star rating

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You'll most likely find a photo of this place under the definition for hole-in-the-wall.

Entering this place fills me with a sudden longing for my Mr. Clean Magic Eraser, Lysol, and some industrial-strength bug spray, but an intoxicating whiff of greasy pork barbecue in the air, and wham! The fact that this place has allegedly been cited for health concerns suddenly seems inconsequential.

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Ihawan arguably has the best barbecue, chicharron bulaklak, and morcon in New York, which, considering that the area it's in is colloquially called Little Manila, is no easy feat. For the portion size, authenticity, and quality of food, the price is more than fair. For a $7 lunch special, you get two choices of entrees and the Philippines' unsung hero, rice. Their barbecue (pork, beef, chicken) is grilled to flavourful, moist, golden brown perfection. Unlike most Pilipino barbecue I've eaten, Ihawan's version stands well on its own; dipping it in the sauce (soy sauce, vinegar, onions, garlic, chili peppers) almost seems like an insult to the barbecue deliciousness. As a testament to its onolicious factor, my pork-loving German-Turk friend declared it was love at first taste between him and the chicharron bulaklak (deep-fried pork ruffles). Despite my warning appetizing description of dinuguan as "pork intestines and/or ground pork in pork blood soup," aforementioned friend eagerly ordered one for himself and declared it delicious. He actually ordered two chicharron bulaklaks, pork barbecue, and lumpia shanghai to go.

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Bottom line: if you're not squeamish about the possibility of New York's friendly neighbourhood cockroaches sashaying a la America's Next Top Model, don't care about shrill voices catching up on gossip as background, and aren't OCD about dried rice grains (mumho) lingering on your recently washed utensils, then I say Ihawan is just the place for you.

Surprise Pay it Forward

 Okay, so it's no surprise to those who know me that I've been lurking over at Philofaxy to satiate my organization OCD and Filofax fixation. What makes the Philofaxy community waaaay better than a forum, IMHO, is the community. It's a frienddly, open, intelligent, respectful community of diverse people. So needless to say I've added the lot of them to my blogroll :o)

Anyhoo...

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I have just spotted this great idea on the lovely LJ's blog LJ's Blog of Stuff for a surprise pay it forward. This is how it works:

I will send a surprise gift to the first three people to comment on this post. This gift will be made by me and I will send it sometime within the next year. Exactly when you will receive it will be a surprise (it will probably be a surprise to me too :-D). Seeing as I'm just not that creative, what it will be will also be a total surprise to me.

Of course there are some rules in this game. Here it goes:

Rules:

1. I will make a little something for the first 3 people that comment on this post. It will be a surprise and may arrive at any time in the next 365 days (yes, a year).

2. To sign up to receive a gift from me you must play along too. Share the giving love on your blog by promising to send a handmade goodie to the first three people that comment on your blog post.

3. You must have a blog.

4. After commenting on my post, you have to post this (or similar) on your blog to spread the love. If you haven't posted in 48 hours then the next commentor will be chosen.

I don't know if three people will even get around to commenting on this, but I will say that if you find this post 6 months from now and only 2 people have left a comment, you can still be commenter #3 and get a random goodie from me! When you comment, I'll email you and get your address and then you will get something from me sometime before next December 2012.

Quote of the Week

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"You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings." 

-- Pearl S. Buck

If hair were a sound, mine would be a growl

Quote of the Week

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness; nothing so gentle as real strength."

 -- St. Francis de Sale

Adele, "Someone Like You"

Quote of the Week

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"We did not change as we grew older; we just became more clearly ourselves.

 -- Lynn Hall

Dearest Da,

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9 years. As of the 14th, it's been nine years since you've gone off to that yet-to-be-definitively-named-or-even-proven-to-exist-place over yonder. Is it the beyond, da? Is there somewhere beyond where I am living and breathing? Are love and memories truly bridges that link the gulf that separates us? Or is there nothing?

Momma is doing well, da. She's back in school, slowly but surely taking steps toward the EdM she gave up on getting the moment she realized that life grew inside of her. My life. Did you ever feel guilty, da. as I sometimes do? Momma gave up her dreams and a career of her own to become your devoted wife and my loving momma. Oh, she has told me time and time again that her dream of being a mom--my mom--is far stronger and much more important than her dream of being a teacher. She did teach me well; I wouldn't have been the successful young woman I am today without her by my side. But still...I feel sad whenever I think about all those lost years and missed opportunities. 

I think I understand you now, da. It's weird how it is in retrospect that I see who you are with clarity. When you didn't shower me with hugs and kisses as a child (like mom did, and still does) or show me much affection, it wasn't because you didn't love me; it was because you never really knew how. But you tried, da. I see that not. You may not have always said "I love you," but you expressed it in your own way. It was in the way you preferred to tell me non-Disney bedtime versions of fairy tales over the phone; you wanted me to know different sides to every story, and to search for my own truth. Your love was in the way you insisted that I take martial arts classes instead of the voice lessons momma wanted. It wasn't because you wanted me to be the son you always wanted but momma never gave birth to; it was because you wanted me to be able to protect myself in times when you could not.

Once in a while I go over your old letters and your old Filofax. The pages are dog-eared, tear-stained, and some are yellowed with age. Ink's faded on some passages, and it's difficult to figure out if you went to visit Dr.  Shen for an EKG or if you kicked the shin of some dude named EG. But no matter. I've memorized your words and held them close.

You've been gone for about a third of my life and you've missed well over half of my life because, well, the Constitution and safety of our country had to come first. But in some ways, those lost years don't matter anymore. I love you, da, and because love is alive, you've grown and changed with me through the years even if you'll always be on the edge of 64 and 2002.

I'll be seeing you again, da. And when I come rushing into your arms, I will once again be that pudgy, pig-tailed little girl with the lacy dress and binoculars, demanding, "Spin me again, daddy! Spin me again!" Someday, I'll dance with you again.