One Long Holiday

Ever wonder how a supposedly long holiday seemed so short after? We just have a week long holiday because of Eid- Ul-Fitr. Technically, the government holiday was three days but our company made up for the two days so that we can have a weeklong holiday plus the weekends a total of 9days. Before the holiday, I find it so long. Long enough to be able to do the things I want to do, like finish my creative swap, do some scrapping, read a book, update my blog, study bangla, rest and sleep. But alas, this is the last day of holiday, tomorrow is back to work again, but I haven’t done half of the things I want to do. I wasn’t able to get enough sleep as much as I want to because well, I spend the night finishing games after games at our newly bought PS2. We purposely bought the PS2 so that we have something to do during this long holiday. The only thing that I was able to do was baked my first attempt of cheesecake and make a no-bake cake. Both received a “thumbs-up” from H except for auntie who isn’t a fan of milk and cream and butter but funny that she loves icecream and other cakes that are not white. Will try to bake something that she can eat freely.

The recipe is here. Cheesecake in the making:
the ingredients for the cheesecake

the crushed graham crackers for the crust, that i brought from my recent break in manila, just for this project. And just recently, I saw a Bluskies Graham Crackers for the first time here in Dhaka at Nandan Grocery, Dhanmondi Branch. Will check the DCC market if they have it too

the blocks of cream cheese

that i have to manually whisk because I forgot to borrow an electric mixer, it's so strenuous. A good exercise to the arms hehehe

Add sugar and milk and continue mixing it.

At last, I'm seeing hope here...continue mixing...

add the eggs, continue mixing

now, pour it in the crust, 1st of two pan



i made a small sizes too. This are the silicon cups that I bought from saizen, 3 pcs for 88 pesos. It works.


my busted microwave oven because its not rotating


the finish product. It's yummy. The burnt top doesn't taste burn at all, and maybe that happened because the microwave was not rotating.

And this is the no-bake cake:

yummylicious!

Litratong Pinoy

Paumanhin po kung hindi ako "updated" ngayon dito sa aking blog. Medyo busy kasi tayo sa trabaho simula ng bumalik ako mula sa aking isang linggong bakasyon sa Pilipinas. At kahit may isang linggo kaming holiday ngayon dahil sa eid-il-fitr ay hindi pa rin ako nakahanap ng panahong magblog dahil sa bagal ng internet dito sa dhaka. (I apologized for not updating my blog. I was tied up with work since I came back from the Philippines for my weeklong break. And even if we had a weeklong holiday due to eid-il-fitr, I still didn't get a chance to blog because the internet here is sooooooooo slow.)

Para sa tema nitong nakaraang huwebes: Palengke (For this last thursday's theme: market)






Kuha ang mga larawang ito sa bandang Old Dhaka, mga alas-syete ng umaga. Ito ay isang "wholesaler market" o bagsakan na nasa pinaka "main entry/exit" ng Old Dhaka patungo sa pinakahighway papunta sa ibang probinsya o villages. Maihahalintulad ito sa may Munoz market sa Manila. (All the pictures are taken somewhere in Old Dhaka, around 7am. This is a wholesale market situated in the main entry/exit of dhaka towards the highway going to other provinces or villages. This can be compare to the Munoz Market in Manila.)

LP 69: Almusal (Breakfast)

Sabi nila, ang almusal ang pinakaimportanteng pagkain sa loob ng isang araw. Kailangan nga naman ng enerhiya ang ating katawan para handa sa buong araw na trabaho at kung anu-ano pang gawain.
(They say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Our body needs anyway the energy for a long day ahead.)

Ito ang paborito kong almusal dito sa Bangladesh. Ang paratha at dim (itlog)at hotdog o kaya ay karnenorte na may kasamang mainit na duhd(milk) tzaa(tea), ang tipikal/tradisyunal na almusal ng mga Bangladeshi. Isa ito sa mga naibigan kong pagkain dito sa bangladesh, at mas nasasarapan ako at natutuwa sa pagkain nito kung kasabay ko si H sa hapagkainan.
(This is my favorite breakfast here in Bangladesh. The Paratha and dim (egg) plus hotdog or cornbeef and freshly made hot duhd tza (milk tea), a typical/traditional Bangladeshi breakfast. This is just one of the few things that I learn to love here and I enjoy eating it more whenever I share it with H.)

Silipin natin ang ibang almusal. (Let's take a look of other breakfast.)

LP 67: Nakakakilabot

Nakakakilabot o nakakatakot o nakakapanindig balahibo o nakakasindak. (Nakakakilabot means something scary, something that gives goosebumps, causing great fear)

Madalas magbrownout dito sa Bangladesh. Tatlong beses na tig-iisang oras ang pinakamababang bilang ng brownout sa loob ng isang araw. Load shedding o load sharing ang tawag nila dito. Kaya naman, nang minsang magbrownout at wala akong magawang matino, ito ang napagdiskitahan kong gawin. (Blackout is so frequent here in Bangladesh. Three times a day, for an hour is the minimum number of blackout in a day. It is called load shedding or load sharing. So, one night when the current was off and I had nothing good to do, this is what I did to keep me from getting bored.)


Kakakilabot ba? (Scary?)






Regalo sa akin ni H ang sungay, munting demonyita daw kasi ako ng buhay niya :-) (The horn was a gift from H, because according to him I'm the Lil Devil of his life.)

Narito ang ibang nakakakilabot.

My Favorite Space

It is only here in Dhaka where I was able to finally have my own room with no one to share with. Thanks for living alone in a three-bedroom company own apartment. The apartment is my own space, my own world. I have the freedom to walk around my apartment regardless what I’m wearing or if I’m wearing anything at all. In this apartment, I am the queen and the master; I can do whatever I want. Eat inside my room, in the kitchen or in the living room. But, there are two rooms that I really consider my favorite place or a place where I can really relax:
1st, is my bedroom: according to my colleague who stays with me whenever she is here in Dhaka, is my cocoon. I go straight to my room once I reach home, open the laptop and browse the net while sitting in the beanbag. During weekends, I stay almost the whole day inside my room and go out only when I have to grab something to eat. I like taking naps also in the afternoon together with my furry roommates sputnik the turtle and Happy Gilmore the bear. By the way, Happy Gilmore is celebrating his birthday on the 25th too because he was given to me as a birthday gift last year.

2nd is the kitchen: I love cooking (for myself) and baking for my guinea pigs. In here, I learn how to cook new recipes and experiment some recipe too. One wedding wish gift will be a kitchen showcase with all the hi-tech equipment that can help me in my cooking and baking. But honestly, nothing can top my favorite place, and that is in the loving arms of H. :-)

I'm sharing my favorite place to join Caryn's Birthday give away. Who knows? I may get lucky this time since it's my birthday month too :-)

P.S.
I met Caryn here in the blogosphere because of her Creative Swap which I intend to join regularly.

LP 65: Basa (Wet)

Kuha ito sa Cox'z Bazar noong nakaraang taon.
(This was taken last year at Cox's Bazar.)



Sa gabi, kami ay nagpalipas ng oras sa paglalakad sa kahabaan ng dalampasigan. Nagtampisaw lamang kami dahil ayaw naming mabasa at "low tide" din.
(At night, we spend our leisure time at the long stretch of the seashore, just waded because we don't like to get wet and it was low tide.)

Pero kinaumagahan, ayan!(But when morning comes, dyaran!)

Basang-basa na dahil sa lakas ng alon kahit nasa dalampasigan ka lang, paghampas ng alon, ikaw ay mabubuwal at mababasa ng todo. (We are so wet because of the strong waves, even if you are just at the seashore, once the waves hit you, you will definitely fall down and get so wet too!)

Narito ang ibang lahok! (Here are the other entries.)

Lp 64: Kandado

Ang Kandado...

Alam kong magtago ng sikreto (I Know how to keep a secret)

Bigay ito ng aking kapareha sa Creative Swap. Ang ganda niya ano? Sayang nga lang at hindi nakarating sa akin ang susi nito. Binubuksan kasi ang mga package dito mula sa ibang bansa, paraan ng surveillance dito.

The lock/Padlock
This is from my Creative swap partner. Beautiful, right? Too bad, the key didn't reach me anymore. As part of surveillance here, the postal/courier services can open all the packages that are coming in from abroad.

Ating buksang ang ibang kandado (let's open the other locks)

LP 63: Dito Lang (Only Here)

Noong bata pa ako, lagi kong pinapangarap makulong sa loob ng SM at manirahan sa loob ng isang gabi na libre lahat ang pagkain at pwedeng gamitin ang mga paninda sa loob. Katulad ba ng mga nasa pelikula na yun mga bida kapag nakulong sa loob ng malls ay ginagamit ang mga paninda doon para sa kaligtasan nila. Hindi ko lubos akalain na mangyayari sa akin ang makulong sa loob ng grocery, at dito lang yan sa Dhaka nangyari.

When i was a kid, i always dream of getting stuck inside SM mall, and stay there for a night where I can eat the foods for free and use the merchandise also. Just like in the movies where the characters can use all the things inside the mall for their survival.I never expected that it will happened to me. I got stocked inside a grocery store and it happened only here in that Dhaka.


Kuha ito noong nakaraang Setyembre 2008 sa loob ng grocery.Pangalawang araw palang ito ng ramadan. Sa panahon ng ramadan, ang oras ng opisina ay mula alas nuwebe ng umaga hanggang 430pm lamang upang may oras pa ang mga empleyado na makauwi at makarating sa kanilang tirahan para sa kanilang "iftar" o "breaking of the fast".

This picture was taken last September 2008 inside a grocery store. It was just the second day of the Ramadan. During Ramadan, the office hours are shortened ffrom 9am til 430pm to give time for the employees to go home in time for their iftar or the breaking of the fast.


Kaya naisipan kong mamili sa grocery. Ang hindi ko alam, sa oras pala ng iftar na kadalasan ay 30 minutos, ang lahat ng tindahan ay nagsasara pansamantala upang magkapag-iftar din ang mga trabahador at empleyado. Kaya hayan, naiwan ako sa loob ng grocery. Ako lang ang nag-iisang kustomer sa loob at ng mapansin ako ng mga empleyadong nakaupo sa sahig at kumakain ng kanilang "iftar meal", ako ay kanilang inanyayahang saluhan sila.

So I decided to buy some groceries. I didn't know, that during the iftar break which is usually 30 minutes long, all the stores and shops closes to give the employees time to have their iftar. So, i was left alone inside the grocery. When the employees who are already seated on the floor and started eating saw me standing alone in the aisle, they invited me to join them.


At dito lang sa dhaka ako nakikain sa mga estranghero, sa loob ng grocery, ng pagkain nakahanda sa dyaryo at kumain ng nakakamay.

It is Only here in Dhaka where I accepted an invitation from total strangers to join them in eating, stock inside a grocery store, with the food that was served in a newspaper and eat by hands.


What an experience!

Narito ang mga ibang kalahok

Creative Swap 5th Round (My 2nd)

I'm not yet done with my Creative Swap project, I'm still thinking of making one pair of earring for my partner but I'm running out of time again. Searching for the earring materials are not that tough afterall. It was available here, and I think it is cheaper than in Divisoria or Quaipo. The Gausia market is really a haven for all this sewing and craft stuff, different beads in all shapes and colors, laces in plain and intricate ones, all sorts of fabrics. I think, you name it and they got it all for you. You just have to know how to haggle, but since I'm a foreigner, they will jack up their prices as soon as you ask the price, so everytime I go there, I bring with me my staff. I just wish I can take a picture of this place but I'm not so sure how safe it is to bring out my camera :-)

Meanwhile, I'm already finished with this shirt. Its simple but I hope my swap partner will appreciate it somehow :-) It's my first time to try this "block printing". I bought the blocks and fabric paint in Gausia Market also. There are lots of block designs, big and small in size, simple patterns, basic and intricate ones. There are also tribal designs but since I'm just a beginner, my staff told me that it wil be hard for me to use the tribal design. So, I decided to get the basic blocks firts. The block price starts from 10taka (smallest) to 200taka for the big ones.


I need to send the package by this week already. Inshallah!

Random Thoughts

I noticed that I don’t blog as much as I want to. Mostly are for my “Litratong Pinoy” entry and if not for that, I guess I won’t be able to update this blog.

What is the reason for the blog lag? It’s not that I don’t have anything to talk about but I just can’t write my thoughts into words, or rather, I can’t organize my thoughts into blog entries. I have lots of thoughts for possible entries but I just can’t simply put them all together nicely to have a smooth flow.

There’s this thoughts about living alone in a foreign country that is so way different from the food, culture, language, religion, almost everything, there’s nothing I can really relate with. Talk about the day-to-day happenings, my observations of the street life or just the highlights of living alone.
The things I do to keep me sane and to keep me from getting bored, like my hobbies, which I don’t regularly do now for the lack of time for myself. I intend to blog also my cooking expeditions, more likely an experiments and my willing guinea pigs. Share my professional life, its ups and downs, the bloopers, stupidities and absurdities.


I also want to write about the junks that I collect like my scrap materials, small toys, novelty items, and other stuff. And also the shopping experience at Bonggo Bazar where you can find overruns/rejected batch of almost all branded clothes like Zara, H&M, Esprit and among others that are not popular in the Philippines. Inshallah (hopefully / In God’s will) I will be able to blog about these things.

LP 61: Pangarap Ko

Pangarap ko ( i hope, i dream, i want)? Ang dami kong pangarap sa buhay, para sa sarili ko, sa pamilya ko, at sa mundo. Kaso hindi lahat ng pinapangarap ko eh natutupad gaya ng pagliliwaliw sa ibang bansa (naks!), at hindi rin lahat ay may kuha akong larawan gaya na lamang ng pinapangarap kong honeymoon destination. Ang mahal ano? Di bale, libre naman ang mangarap eh.

Sa kabilang banda, ito ang aking lahok:
ito ang simbahan ng Caleruega sa Nasugbu, Batangas. Kuha ito noong Hulyo 25, 2007. Pangarap kong ikasal dito, ang ganda kasi ng simbahan, tamang-tama sa maliit at intimate na kasalan. Maganda rin ang kapaligiran, ok sa pictorial. Kaso, ang mahal ng fee, nun 2007 nasa 15000 na siya. Dati-rati, talagang ipinagpipilitan ko na dito lang ako ikakasal o di bale na lang, kaya dapat pag-ipunan. Ewan ko ba, sa Pilipinas lang ata negosyo ang kasal :-)Pero ngayon, kahit saang simbahan na ako ikasal, basta lang ikasal ako sa H ko.


Ito pa ang isa kong pangarap. Mahilig ako sa photography, mapa-ako ang kumukuha ng larawan o ako ang kinukuhanan, basta picture taking, mahilig ako. Kaya naman pangarap ko simula nun bata ako na maging isang magaling na photographer at magkaroon ng "photographer's camera". Yan ang tawag ko sa manual SLR na ngayon ay DSLR na, basta yun kamera na may iba't ibang lens na inaadjust-adjust pa bago mo i-click. Kaso, hanggang ngayon, pangarap pa rin siya. Kuntento na ako sa ngayon sa aking "point & shoot camera" kasi hindi hassle bitbitin. Ito pala ang gamit nun professional photographer nun minsang may photoshoot kami ng aming mga produkto.

Ating alamin ang mga pangarap ng ibang ka-LP!

Magandang araw ng huwebes!

LP 60: Misyon

Nahirapan akong mag-isip kung ano ang aking ilalahok para sa temang "Misyon". Ang hirap atang makuha sa isang larawan lamang ang "misyon" na dapat gampanan at mapagtagumpayan. Buti na lang, naalala ko na may ginawa akong munting misyon para sa aking future MIL.


Kuha ito noong nakaraang Marso. May munting salo-salo sa embahada para sa "Linggo ng Pagkabuhay" kaya naatasan si future MIL na gumawa ng programa at mga palaro. Isa sa palaro ang maala-pin the tail of the donkey, ang kaibahan lang ay ang premyo ay wala lang sa buntot kundi sa mga iba't ibang parte ng donkey.


Iginuhit ko ang donkey sa isang manila paper at natapos ko naman na halos eksatong-eksato sa larawan. Kung bakit nasa sahig ako imbes na nasa mesa ay dahil mas kumportable akong gumuhit sa sahig kung malalakihang drawing :-)

Mission accomplished.

Silipin natin ang iba pang misyon sa buhay

LP 59: Alam Mo Ba?

Ito ang tradisyonal/ pambansang kasuotan ng kababaihan dito sa Bangladesh. Ang tawag dito ay saree/sari. Noong unang salta ko dito, ang akala ko ito ay para sa mga kababaihang Muslim lamang, hindi pala, ito ay para sa pangkalahatan.

This is the traditional dress for the ladies here in Bangladesh. It is called saree/sari. When I arrived hee for the first time, I thought this is for Muslim ladies only, but I was mistaken, it's for every ladies.

Ang saree/sari ay may habang 6 na yarda ng tela. Ito ay karaniwang makukulay na may iba't-ibang disenyo mula sa pinakasimpleng tela lamang hanggang sa may mga burda at beads. Ang saree ay gawa rin sa iba't-ibang tela na sinusuot ayon sa okasyon, may gawa sa cotton na maaaring gamitin sa pang-araw-araw, may gorgette, seda, o lace fabric din para sa mga okasyon. Ito ay binabagayan ng blusa na karaniwang gawa mismo sa tela ng saree o maaaring kakulay o katugma lamang ng saree.

The saree is made of 6 yards of fabric. It is usually colorful with different designs from the most basic plain fabric to the most intricate designs with embroidery and beads. It is also made of different fabric which is use according to occassion. There is a cotton saree where you can wear for ordinary days, gorgette, silk or lace fabric for special occassion. It is match up with a top blouse that is either made from the same saree fabric or a different fabric that matches the color of the saree.

Nasubukan ko ng magsuot nito para sa isang kasalan. At sa totoo lang, mahirap itong suotin ng mag-isa ka lamang. Kailangan ko pang pumunta sa parlor para isuot ang saree sa akin. Ang saree ay iniikot sa baywang ng maraming beses at saka iniipit sa paldang panloob gamit ang malalaking perdible. At ang palaypay ay isinasabit sa balikat, maaaring nakatupi o nakalaylay lamang. Ang pagkakatupi ng saree ay isang sining na nagbibigay ganda lalo sa kasuotang ito.

I've already experienced wearing a saree to a wedding. I find it hard to wear it alone, you need an extra hand to help you wrap the saree around your body. I have to go to the parlor so that they can put the saree on me. The fabric is wrap around your waist several times and then fixed with big big safety pins. And the extra fabric is placed on the shoulder either folded or loose. The folds of the saree is an art itself and it gives beauty to the whole get up.

Narito ang iba pang kaalaman.

LP 58: Lahat ay Payak

Payak ay kasingkahulugan ng simple. Kay ganda siguro ng buhay kung lahat ay simple lang. Maging ang kaligayahan ay simple lang. Ito ang aking bagong laruan, simple lamang siya ngunit may kahulugan ang mga pato na tanging kami lamang ng aking H ang nakakaalam. Tuwing nakakakita kami ng mga larawan, laruan, imahe ng pato o pato mismo, kami ay natatawa sa alaala ng isang araw sa aming buhay. Simpleng laruan lamang ang mga ito ngunit nakakapagbigay ng ngiti sa aming dalawa :-)

Ating dalawin ang iba pang kasimplehan.