Being away from my life in Manila and chilling in Sydney somehow opens
me to myself. I go the little extra effort to do something I would not
do back home like cleaning around the house, fixing things and cooking.
The first time I made adobo, I felt so happy. I felt that i had met a
previously unlknown  aspect of myself. It was like a part of me  made
its debut-- Jim Paredes the cook! ha ha.

Today I totally pleased myself with my first attempt at making sinigang.
Let me tell you with an understandable and shameless bias, but with
some respectable objectivity (from my son) that it was DELICIOUS. When
I first tasted the broth, my face grimaced with the sourness that was
unmistakably kick-ass sinigang. It was nowhere near light and undefined. It was hardcore, through and through as sinigang as it could get! SARAP!

Buoyed
up by the success of my culinary adventure, I am contemplating on my
next  project. Kare-kare? Lechon Kawali? Pochero? Hmm.

Abangan.

*     *     *

Ala
just came home gushing over the Stevie Wonder concert she just watched
at Acer Arena in Homebush. She said it was her best concert experience
ever. I saw Stevie Wonder in Manila in 1988 and I still feel that it
was the best show I had ever seen.

Due to Ala's enthusiaistic
reportage, Mio and I are watching it tomorrow!! Artists like Stevie who
have defined so much of the good music that has thrilled us through the
years are gems  hat must be admired and enjoyed while they can still
perform well. He pretty much wrote many of the most stirringly
beautiful, singable tunes that have defined the times of my life.

I can't wait!

*     *     *

I
bought the Canon 50D during my recent trip to the US. It is a great
camera. I just love everything about it. Today, I took a few pics
around the house and they came out pretty well.. I am raring to do
studio shots with it  except that I do not have a model to shoot.
Anyone reading this who is female, presentable, in the Sydney area and
who wants great pics and is willing to pose for free, do get in touch
with me.

Send me a photo first at emailjimp@gmail.com. If you
are the subject I am looking for, I will call you to set up a schedule.
All I can promise are good pics. It will be fun.