Love is Blind, But Not for the Blind

Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho or I Don't Want to Go Back Alone is a Brazilian short film written and directed by Daniel Ribeiro. The Barefoot Baklesa chanced upon this at Tumblr and thought it was worth the sharing. It's one of those films that make you feel 16 again and about to fall in love. We recommend watching it without the subtitles/captions first, for there's something about the universality of cinema that is at work while watching it like that. Having said that, so as not to spoil thy fun, we shall leave thee to it.

oh yeah, you can watch this on youtube and click on the closed caption button and click preferences for the desired language.

thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Barefoot Sojourns: Pila, Ang Bayang Pinagpala

It's that time of year again, when I am called back to this beautiful place. Its vast central square surrounded by historic homes from an era past seems bathed by this golden light that slows down my weary and timeworn senses; shedding off the superficial shell that the city forces one to wear. Everywhere, even the faces of strangers turn into friends, and in their withdrawn yet polite smiles, comfort. Three years I have been coming back to this place, with one less stranger and a new friend made as I cross the streets, looking up at old house windows, praying inside Saint Anthony's brick and stone church, and enjoying the company of every new friend I have made.

Who would not fall in love with Pila?

This historic town that traces its name as far back as the 10th century [the date was April 21, 900 AD] when the place was still called 'Pailah' as mentioned in a small fragment of an engraved sheet of metal called the Laguna Copper Plate; which I first heard mention of during my History 165 class at the Ateneo. But it would not be another eight years before I would actually walk the streets of Pila, ascend the steps of its century old homes, and watch the early morning sun illuminate this blessed place from the window of one of its old houses owned by a family that has welcomed me three years hence.



It was a rainy late afternoon when I arrived in Pila last June 11th, a day or so away from the annual celebration feast of San Antonio de Padua, the town's patron saint. Local lore has it that the Diocesan Shrine of San Antonio located at the edge of their Plaza Mayor [an old name for the central square, which is always more rectangular in the Philippines, I noticed] was actually transferred brick by brick and stone by stone from its old location by the lake, called Pagalangan of what is now the town of Victoria. It is said, during the Spanish colonial times, the Friars and the Luminaries of Pila decided to relocate the church due to the flooding of the Laguna de Bay. The new location, once known as Hacienda de Santa Clara, which was owned by the brothers Felizardo, Rafael, and Miguel de Rivera, is now the heart of modern day Pila. Without Don Felizardo Rivera's pioneering move, Pila would not have been. Rumor has it, the happy spirit of Don Felizardo still roams Pila, a sentinel of a time past.



It was three years ago when we were first invited by Ms. Jessica Rivera, one of the current heirs of the Rivera Ancestral House, to attend the annual Fiesta of San Antonio de Padua. Now for those of you who are uncommon to the Filipino tradition of celebrating a Fiesta, it's simply a community based celebration which has religious roots. Each town has a patron saint, and when the patron saint's feast day comes, it is celebrated with feasting and revelry to give thanks to the patron saint for gracing them with a good year of blessings and/or a good harvest. But I babble again...



So, three years ago, a new found friend named Manuel [a distant relative of the Riveras] and I were invited by Miss Jessica Rivera for a traditional fiesta luncheon and the solemn procession of the image of San Antonio de Padua. Miss Rivera herself owns an image of San Francisco de Asis [the founder of the Franciscan Order] which accompanies San Antonio during his feast day procession along with the images of San Roque, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. It was an enjoyable experience and from then on, my fondness for the town of Pila began.



But Manuel felt that the processional images of San Antonio, San Francisco, and the others, must be accompanied by Santa Clara de Asis the next year, following the tradition that she is friend to San Francisco and took from his example. Add to that, since the town now stands where Hacienda de Santa Clara used to be, there was a certain serendipity. And come 2010, I began my devotion to what I call 'babysitting' Santa Clara de Asis. Manuel commissioned a processional image of the and founder and first abbess of the Poor Clares to join the procession in her saintly glory, while I volunteered to help supervise the logistics of taking out the image for procession ensuring that she arrives at the church door -inclusive of traversing bumpy roads, dodging electrical lines and festive buntings, and the occasional rain.




Meanwhile Doctor Rufino Francia, a cousin of Miss Jessica Rivera, also commissioned a processional image of Saint Joseph with face and hands made of ivory to escort the Blessed Virgin Mary. A stunning piece of statuary, Dr. Francia's San Jose was executed in the local sculptural style of the late 19th century wearing vestments of amber and green velvet embroidered with jilos de oro [metallic gold thread].



Another son of Pila, affectionately called Tito Vic, opens his home to the images of San Francisco, Santa Clara, San Jose, and the Blessed Virgin Mary. Under the old trees around his property, these sacred images make their temporary stop. The carrozas [wheeled processional mounts/platforms] are decked with flowers and other complimentary foliage, the arrangement artfully executed under the watchful eye of Tito Vic, making sure that every leaf and flower falls or stands rightly so. And after a full day's work, an hour before procession, the carrozas would make their way from his gates to the church courtyard, in their vibrant floral gloss.



There's a certain drama that comes with tradition, and as the procession moves throughout the town past ancestral homes, their windows all open with spectators leaning over to watch like those that came before have done so, I am thankful for Pila's cultural advocates: the Pila Historical Society Foundation. The most prominent of them, Ms. Cora Relova, is a living reminder of the refinement and genteel manners the people of Pila have been known for since the time of the Spaniards. Her advocacy is to maintain Pila's status as a Heritage Town following the declaration of the National Historical Institute back in 2000. She welcomes people who have a heart for a town such as Pila, taking them along on heritage walks, armed with history, local lore, and a resolve to keep Pila the way it is. Who would not, if you get to wake up at a place like this?



If you think about it, the town of Pila is not like other Laguna towns that always has something associated with it; like say Pagsanjan or Los Baños which are resort towns, or Paete with carving and workworking, or Lumban with native textile and embroidery, etcetera. The town of Pila, plucked by the bay and moved to what was once an hacienda, would simply be like any other agricultural town made prosperous by the land. Yet somehow, there's this inexplicable draw that the place has over a jaded suburbanite such as I, maybe it's that combination of old world charm, a certain pride of place, and a people that you would fancy for their warmth and community spirit.



Before and after each procession come June 12 and 13, and I would look forward to watching the image of Santa Clara de Asis pass under the arch of Baranggay Santa Clara, it seemed a fitting and dramatic punctuation to the story of how Pila was relocated to a vast plantation then named Hacienda de Santa Clara. I relish the smile on my face as I watch thus, and with a prayer wish to be there again the next year.



For two years now, the fiesta processions of Pila would mark the end of my Processional Obligations, so to speak; which starts on Holy Week and encompasses Easter, the Feast of Saint Joseph, and the May-time Processions locally called Flores de Mayo. And Pila, with its charming historical homes and stunning processional images is a fitting finale. But without its people, the descendants of old families that would come home from halfway around the world for the sake of tradition, their cultural advocates, the devout men and women who help lend a hand in taking out the images of the saints, and the locals smiling amidst the constancy of their daily routines -all of them faithful and grateful- Pila would never be so blessed.




Until the next sojourn, I would like to thank:
Ms. Jessica Rivera
Dr. Rufino Francia
Manuel Djajakusuma
Ms. Cora Relova
Father Dennis Estrella
Paul Baisas Pagalanan
Jeffrey De la Paz
Tito Vic and the House of Victor Juan
and to the carroza pullers of Santa Clara de Asis



Thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

The Mary Month of May

In the Philippines, the month of May is always associated with three things: the start of the rainy season, the month of fiesta celebrations, and the devotion to the Holy Cross and the Flores de Mayo.

Superstition has it that it always rains on May 1st which is celebrated as the feast of Saint Joseph the Worker coinciding with the secular holiday: National Labor Day. They used to call the first showers 'Primera Lluvia de Mayo' [the First rain of May]. People would save the rainwater from that day and have it blessed to be used as holy water, believed to have healing properties.

Then come May 3rd, the feast of the Holy Cross commemorates the finding of the true cross by the Empress Helena, mother of Constantine the Great. From hence, all over the country, for the remainder of the month, chapels and churches would be filled with the sound of prayers and hymns to the Blessed Virgin Mary as children offer her flowers every late afternoon in a ritual they call Flores de Mayo. While in some communities, a wooden cross is moved from house to house by little girls or young ladies until it reaches the house of the one chosen to be the Reyna Elena for the Santa Cruzan or Sagala, the annual promenade of little girls and young ladies dressed in the finest gowns paraded with arches decorated with flowers in commemoration of the Pilgrimage to find the true cross.



Actually, the Santa Cruzan and the Flores de Mayo are two different things: The Flores de Mayo is an act of devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary culminating with a procession at the end of the month; while the Santa Cruzan started out as a pageant of sorts to showcase the eligible young women as they represent characters in the christian legend. But somehow, in the last thirty years, the two have merged into one unique hodgepodge of an event. The titles of the Virgin Mary like Rosa Mystica [Mystic Rose] or Reyna de las Estrellas [Queen of the Stars] is mixed with Characters like Reyna Banderada [the Motherland], Infanta Judith [the biblical Judith with a severed head], Reyna Elena [Empress Helena] and in some towns, Cleopatra -which i have seen reclining on a palanquin.

Celebrated Cultural writer Gilda Cordero Fernando could not contain her amusement when once shown photographs and regaled with the often incongruous line-ups of the Santa Cruzan or Sagalas of late. But she is forgiving in saying, "Hayaan mo na, it's sooo Folk eh." [Leave it be, It's so Folk].



Folk indeed, as I myself often could not make heads or tails of it yet find it uniquely Filipino. Some people find the Santa Cruzan irrelevant nowadays; a remnant of bygone era that has been consumed by displays of vanity and fundraising activities. But in some towns, they still cling to it, as tool of faith and the retelling of one dramatic chapter in the story of Christianity -and that to me, is better than showbiz celebrities paraded about town upstaging the Blessed Mother and the lessons of early Christian legend. Here's to that, and to the Blessed Virgin Mary.




thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Moments Like These: A Quote and a Song

Here's a little something from a century ago that we as artists keep forgetting in our quest to please and sell:

"My attitude toward all this is that a true artist who believes in his art and his mission must necessarily be altogether insensible to praise or blame. If he is not a mere sham, he cannot be disturbed by any caricature or exaggeration. He has the truth on his side. And the opinion of the whole world should be of no consequence to him."

~Oscar Wilde

to which I add this video from the musical Title of Show called Die Vampire Die! It's a song I go back to when I am consumed about certains doubts I have about the endeavors i undertake.



just look at the lyrics:


Die Vampire Die!

Susan:
There are some people in the world who say that writing stories,
or composing music or dancing sparkly dances is easy for them.
Nothing interferes with their ability to create.
While I celebrate their creative freedom,
a little part of me just wants to punch those motherfuckers in the teeth.
This song, I sing this song for you guys and for all the rest of us. Help me out y’all
Backup:
We’ll sing backup
Susan:
You have a story to tell, a novel you keep in a drawer.
Backup:
Old sock drawer!
Susan:
You have a painting to paint, but you lazy like an old French whore
Backup:
Je suis whore
Susan:
You have a movie to make, Shrinky Dinks you can bake
but you best grab a stake, cause,
in sweep the vampires, in creep the vampires, knee deep in vampires,
Filling you with doubt. Insecurity, ‘bout what you art should be
in sweep the vampires
All:
Die vampire
Susan:
You sketched that turtle you saw in an ad on late-night cable TV
Backup:
Tippy Turtle!
Susan:
But your fourth grade teacher said
Female Backup:
You can’t draw
Susan:
Aww, those vampires just won’t let you be
Backup:
Fuck you Ms. Johnson, Word!
Susan:
And when they come run like hell, see those bats in your belfry, then call on Van Helsing.
Susan:
In swoosh
Backup:
Ooh, the vampires
Susan:
in a whoosh
Backup:
ooh, the vampires,
Susan:
Babaganoosh
Backup:
ooh, all the vampires
Susan:
Filling you with thoughts of
Backup:
Self consciousness
Susan:
Feelings of
Backup:
Worthlessness
Susan:
They’ll make you
Backup:
Second guess
Die vam-
All:
-pire!
There are so many vampires, inside, outside, and nationwide,
it helps to recognize them with this vampire hunting guide!
Listen closely,
a vampire is any person or thought or feeling
that stands between you and your creative self expression,
but they can assume many seductive forms.
Here’s a few of them!
Backup:
Tell us Susan!
Susan:
First up are you pigmy vampires.
They’ll swarm around you head like gnats and say things like:
Male Backup:
Your teeth need whitening
Female Backup:
You went to state school?
Male Backup:
You sound weird
All:
Shakespeare, Sondheim, Sedaris
Susan:
Did it before you and better than you, or they might say that you cannot
sing good enough to be in a musical, or they might say:
Backup:
Ooh, your song’s derivative,
Ooh, your song’s derivative,
Ooh, your song’s derivative,

Susan:
To keep that song from you! Just tell them:
Backup:
Die vampire, die!
Susan:
Brothers and sisters, next up is the air freshener vampire,
she might look like you mama, or your old fat-ass, fat aunt Fanny.
She smells something unpleasant in what you’re creating.
She’ll urge you to:
Backup:
(Spraying sound)
Susan:
It with some pine fresh smell ’em ups.
The air freshener vampire doesn’t want you to write about
Backup:
bad language, blood, or blow jobs
Susan:
She wants you to clean it up and clean it out.
Which will leave your work toothless, gutless, and crotchless
but, you’ll be left with two tight paragraphs,
All kittens that your grandma would be so proud of.
You look at that air freshener vampire in her fat ass, fat old fuckin’ face and you say
All:
Morte Vampir Morte
Susan:
The last vampire is the mother of all vampires and that is the vampire of despair.
It’ll wake you up at 4am to say things like:
Backup:
Who do you think you’re kidding?
You look like a fool.
No matter how hard you try, you’ll never be good enough
Susan:
Why is it that if some dude walked up to me on the subway platform
and said these things, I’d think he was a mentally ill asshole,
but if the vampire inside my head says it,
It’s the voice of reason.
Backup:
You have a story to tell, pull your novel out of that sock drawer!
You have a painting to paint, you best paint it and then paint some more!

Susan:
Oh baby, you must escape and grab it by the nape of its neck, by the trachea
fuckin’ break it, go on drive a stake in,
Yeah there’s no mistaking, now you’re shake and bakin’
All:
Die, vampire
I said, “Die, vampire”
I said, “Now die vam-pi-re, die!”
All:
In fly the vampires, oh my the vampires, then die the vampires,
filling you with life, creativity, all that you heart should be, out go the vampires
Die vampire, die vampire, die vampire, die!


Thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

the barefoot baklesa recommends: 'Jenny & Juno' [also a review]

I like movies that, for at least a moment, make me forget that I’m such a jaded person for the most part of my conscious day. Trust me, I drift from being idealistic to being jaded by the hour each day -that’s just how the swirling mist in my head moves. I have not had the time to finish my review of the gay Korean movie “No Regrets” and here I am typing away for another movie: ‘Jenny and Juno’.

It’s a lazy start-of-summer afternoon for me and I just finished viewing ‘Jenny & Juno’ or ‘Jenny,Juno’ -the titular variations confuse me, really- and I feel all fuzzy inside. Right off the bat, this movie has earned a place in my heart as one of the best feel-good movies I have seen in years! Well, It doesn’t hurt that ‘Boy Meets Boy’ star Kim Hye-Sung plays the teenage boy named Juno who gets his girlfriend Jenny/Jae-in [played by the adorable Park Min-Ji] pregnant.

That’s right people, this movie is about teenage pregnancy. So why am I all giddy about a movie with such a serious premise to it? The movie treats upon the reality of how the average age of teenagers having sexual intercourse -and girls getting pregnant- are getting younger and younger these days; yet I found the way Jenny and Juno deal with this serious blow with the proper consideration for the value of human life through their innocent love for each other.

Jenny, an honor student and class president, falls for Juno, a newcomer to their school, who is quite a cool guy and enjoys a little fame as a champion cyber gamer. The movie starts when Jenny learns that she is pregnant and tells Juno. Things being a little to much to handle for Juno, he avoids Jenny for a while -as immature boys do- later to be reconciled with the resolve to keep the baby and face parenthood at a very young age. Juno does whatever he can to take care of Jenny: bringing her food at midnight, taking on a job to save some money, and making sure she has a healthy pregnancy. Determined to keep it a secret for as long as they can, Jenny & Juno eventually face the wrath of their disapproving parents when the pregnancy is finally revealed; with the adults having their own resolve to do what is necessary to keep them from ruining their young lives.

I know that the movie was written with the slant towards the unscarred heart and the unbound idealism of two young people in love, who are barely over being children themselves, now dealing with having a child of their own. But the most basic of things like “learning to live with the consequences of your actions” or “facing such tremendous odds head-on” are such simple things that young people ought to be reminded of.

On one hand, the movie is not without the ubiquitous requirements of a teen romance movie [you‘re going to enjoy these lovey-dovey sweet moments], yet I felt subliminally taught/reminded that abortion is wrong, that teenage pre-marital sex is not without its consequences, and that parents can only do so much for their child sometimes and they will still find it in their heart to love you either way. All that, without being preachy about it. Certain situations would seem unrealistic but you will learn to let it go of it as you watch because it’s quite a good movie: It had the right dose of idealism with the appropriate dose of reality. If I were a values education teacher, I’d certainly have my students watch this.

If you’re looking for a feel good movie for that lazy summer afternoon, then give ‘Jenny & Juno’ a chance to make you feel like you’re fifteen again, falling in love, and finding a rock to hit one’s self in the head with. I promise it will be worth your while.

So, check it out if you can. Here’s the link to the movie in
VEOH

we must cry: "Two Big White Tears" [Due Grosse Lacrima Bianche]

A song can go many ways, and we remember certain songs if they speak clearly of the condition of the heart that hears it. This song is quite old, but I believe it deserves to be heard once more.

My friend Dennis introduced me to this song not more than a day ago. By the first few bars, I was mesmerized by the song and the voice; and I asked him if he could translate it for me. Here it goes...

Nostre cuore dicevi sempre
Non è una stanza che si affitta
Noi ci lasciamo, la stanza è vuota
La porta aperta resterà

Due grosse lacrime bianche
Come due perle del mare
È tutto quello che a me rimane di te

D'amore, no, non si muore
Per non sentir la tua voce
La testa sotto il cuscino io nasconderò

Come un lampo che apre il cielo
Ho visto chiaro in mezzo al buio
Solo d'amore, no, non si muore
Ridendo, me l'hai detto tu

Due grosse lacrime bianche
Come due perle del mare
È tutto quello che a me rimane di te

Due grosse lacrime bianche
Che non faranno rumore
Perché le ultime sai non pesano mai

Our heart, you always said
Is not a room that we rent out
We left each other, the room is empty
The door will stay open

Two big white tears
Like two pearls from the sea
Is all that you left me

No, you don't die because of love
I don't want to hear your voice
I'll hide my head under my pillow

Like a flash that opens the sky
I saw you clearly in the middle of the dark
No, you don't die only because of love
You taught me how to laugh

Two big white tears
Like two pearls from the sea
Is all for me that's left from you

Two big white tears
That won't make a noise
Because the last ones are never heavy,
you know...




~oh how my heart sings this song now... just for the heck of it. Hehehehehe...

thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

this is just too good not to share...

"Blessings on your friends,
and blessings on your enemies.
Turn their hearts.
If the Lord wont turn their hearts,
We'll ask the Lord to turn their ankles,
So you'll know them by their limp!"

~Ancient Irish Blessing


I pass thee this blessing and go and see who will be limping...Bwahahahaha!!!


Thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

posting drought is that you?

Lately, i don't know if it's a combination of being busy with sudden bouts of procrastination that has been hindering me from posting anything new or maybe i have nothing with any sense to go on about; But trust me, my readership rates at google analytics have been dipping -not that it's much but i do enjoy the clicks... come on, we're not out here blogging just for our personal pleasure to read -that would be too absurd even to the vainest of all of us.

So I leave you with something to think about today, because I have been stuck with certain pages of my book and it's taking a while to write/move on:

"Like are we writing for Art?
And is Art a springboard for fame?
And will fame give us a paycheck?
And will a paycheck mean that we're sellouts?
And if we sellout, will they yell out me and you?"

-Title of Show




thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

I must be making sense to someone out there...

Remember how I often refer to my postings as "the swirling mist in my head"? Well, i often wonder if what i'm going on about here makes sense to some, or if I seem to be blabbering on about random things that catch my fancy, or getting emotional and passionate about -well, just about anything...

Just now, I found a curious message in my inbox... it was a long read, and a juicy one at that. Before I actually make a response to his dilemma, I'm going to ask him if I can feature it in The Barefoot Baklesa blog. I think what he went through and what I have to say about it I reckon is something we can all learn from.

Until then, i leave you with Bernadette Peters singing "Not A Day Goes By" from Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along




thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Happiness, the Shallow Side of Me, and Super Junior

I will have to admit, there are days when I can be undeniably shallow... Next to great food, eye candy and the continuous sight thereof keeps a smile on my face longer than the balance of my bank account. Maybe that's why I enjoy 'people watching' from the odd corners of cafes and lounges which i frequent.

Back when we were in training to be writers, we taught the skill of observation: to see what stories people's actions tell. But I'm getting way off topic here, I need to be shallow.

I woke up today, considering the obvious lack of sleep, with what one calls "a spring in my step"... There was something in the air, I sensed.

As i was checking stuff online, I was reminded that five years ago today, a Korean boyband of 13 members strong was launched: SUPER JUNIOR.


[oh yeah, this was from years ago... look at the hair on these boys!]

I have to admit, I became a fan very late in Super Junior's existence. How late? Well, only early this year... That gives me four years I need to catch up on. Trust me, the pretty boy overload wasn't something I came to regret.



So, even with the racist slurs actress Lee Da Hae has thrown my people's way by poking fun at how Filipino teachers speak/teach the Koreans the English language, the very fact that Super Junior still keeps a smile on my face when I watch them trumps the latest uncouth comment from a second rate actress. Thank you, Super Junior [*sigh*]

You see, there's something about SUJU that appeals to me [Siwon and Donghae perhaps? Hehehehe] which I can't really find with the guys from U-kiss, Beast, or 2PM. Although 2PM's Nichkun would make for the cutest cuddle-mate, and I could stare at Eli of U-Kiss for hours on end, they don't have that "lift my spirits" kind of vibe that SUJU has on me.



These guys [SUJU] look like they're having fun all the time. Which is evident when I look at their performance concepts that they have a sense of humor about themselves with the cross dressing and the antics.

The Barefoot Baklesa wishes SUPER JUNIOR a happy five years in the biz; and here's wishing they keep making me -I meant- more people happy.

I leave you with the very first SUPER JUNIOR song I ever saw, "Haengbok" or "Happiness"



Have a great weekend, everyone!


thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

The Barefoot Baklesa Cooks: 001 Three Mushroom and Grilled Eggplant Pasta

I decided to start a recipe series since The Barefoot Baklesa was actually cooking lasagna barefoot when his dear friend, Sandro Lopa, called him The Barefoot Baklesa for the very first time. It was a few days to Halloween back in 2006 when that came to be... And just this evening, I experimented on something that deserves to be the first recipe to post.

The Barefoot Baklesa's Three Mushroom and Grilled Eggplant Pasta
[serves 3 to 4 very hungry people]
You will need:


250 grams button mushrooms, sliced
250 grams straw mushrooms, quartered
200 grams dried shitake mushrooms, rinsed twice and soaked in distilled water for at least one hour, rinsed a third time and soaked again in distilled water
two medium sized garlic bulbs, crushed and minced
4 large eggplants, whole
1 heaping teaspoon dried basil leaves, if fresh ones are available, then substitute 1/4 cup minced
1 and 1/2 cups of either vegetable, chicken, or beef broth -fairly concentrated. if not available, dissolve one instant broth cube in a cup and a half of hot water
4-5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons tomato paste [optional]
2 tablespoons Balsamic Vinegar
Worcestershire Sauce
crushed red pepper flakes
500 grams cooked pasta in flavored pasta brodo, Barefoot Baklesa Style
salt, sugar, and pepper to taste
Grated Parmesan Cheese

1. Preparing the Eggplants
With a steel tong, take the eggplants and grill them directly above an open flame -the stove is best if you're in a rush, keep a good watch and turn them constantly. once most of the skin is singed to black and the eggplants are soft, take them off the flame and place them in a large container and cover with plastic cling wrap and let them steam for a few minutes. after they have steamed, take a clean damp kitchen towel or paper towel and run the eggplants against it -this will peel of the singed skin cleanly, if not automatically. chop the eggplants into half inch cubes then set aside.

Pasta Brodo, Barefoot Baklesa Style
in a pasta cooking pot, add the proper measure of water to cook your pasta, 1 laurel leaf, a pinch of dried basil leaves, 1 whole broth cube, a few teaspoons of salt -or subsitute liquid amino salts if you're watching your salt intake, a few drops of Worcestershire sauce, and a few teaspoons vegetable oil to prevent the pasta from sticking. allow to boil and cook pasta the usual way.



TIMING IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR THIS RECIPE, sautee only when the water is boiling and you have just put the pasta in to cook.

2. In a deep non-stick pan or skillet heat 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, flavor the heated oil by sprinkling a dash of crushed red pepper flakes and allow to fry for a while; add garlic and sautee in medium heat until golden -take great care not to burn the garlic.


add in the basil leaves and allow to cook a little before adding the shitake mushrooms, the straw mushrooms, and the button mushrooms, allowing some time for each type of mushroom to cook. sautee for another minute or so after all the mushrooms are in the pan. shake in some Worchestershire sauce, salt, and pepper to taste.



Remember, other than the varieties of mushrooms with a woodsy flavor like the shitake or porccino, most farm cultivated mushrooms are bland and in some cases lightly sweet. thus they require some flavoring from the garlic and spices.

3. After that, add in the chopped grilled eggplants and your choice of broth and the 3 tablespoons tomato paste, bring to a boil and allow to simmer in medium heat for about 3-5 minutes. you will notice the sauce thicken due to the grilled eggplant breaking down during the cooking period. add the balsamic vinegar and allow to boil and simmer once again before stirring.


The tomato paste enhances the basil in the sauce while the balsamic vinegar balances the woodsy flavor of the mushrooms. you can add sugar upon what your taste requires.

4. By this time, the pasta will be cooked al dente. Drain the pasta using tongs or a kitchen spider, do not rinse, and mix them in with the sauce -don't worry about some of the pasta water going into your sauce -it's also flavored anyway.


5. Plate and top with grated Parmesan cheese and crushed red pepper flakes.

I also discovered cream cheese goes well with this when still warm... hehehehe!!!

I do hope you enjoyed my first in The Barefoot Baklesa Cooks Series

thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Oh Mario Maurer, you blog me back!!!

It does take a Mario Maurer update to make raise me from the depths of blogging drought...Bwahahaha!!!

Okay, some people say that Mario Maurer's star is about to implode on himself and fade into oblivion. But the Barefoot Baklesa's loyalty is never to be shaken when it comes to this multi-racial: German/Chinese/Thai actor catapulted to fame by the movie The Love of Siam [just click on the link for my review].

I have read from a fellow blogger Carlo de la Rosa that he has a new movie First Love slated to come out on the 12th of August. More on that from Carlo's Blog. So do click away!



Thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Oh gods oh gods, are you there? [text message banter during an unexpected april shower]

I just had to share these exchanges through text... It lifted my mood a little -considering the the week i have been having [having being the operative word], and give or take that the person on the other end was located in central luzon for that matter. Here goes:

Drake: Yehey! Mahal talaga ako ni Bro, ang lakas ng ulan, migs!

Niki: Teka lang, tatawagan ko si Bro ha, baka kasi si Shiva o si Vishnu ang may gawa.

Drake: Si Hades daw. Hehehe!

Niki: Mali, si Horus daw may gawa. Nadapa at nadali yung pitsel ni Santa Martha kaya bumuhos ang ulan.

Drake: Nabitawan nga ni Horus yung jug sa Pampanga. Lakas ulan may bits of ice pa o.

Niki: Nagalit si Santa Martha, best pitcher daw niya yon... Hahatawin yata si Horus ng basket of grapes.

Drake: Ako heto, sobrang tuwa. Sarap pakinggan ng mga kulog at makita Thunder bolts ni Tatay Zeus.



Well, primera lluve de mayo [the first rain of May] is hopefully around the corner... Here's praying to the heavens that this insufferable heat will pass... Soon.



Thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Can i just Say?

I slept in rather late, my body was a little worse for wear from the day before -unusually cold summer day that went all humid on me- But i woke up a while ago feeling as if the world is going my way. And that nothing, not even Uncle FreUd with a few lose screws in his head, can ruin this day...

I'd like to share this wallpaper from Bon Bon Underwear which pretty much sums up what I feel today...Enjoy!!!



Thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

Hear Ye, Hear Ye! Attend to me, all of thee...

Reposted from The Art of the Philippine Santo Group at Flickr

You are all Invited to Attend Administrator Dennis Gungon's and Moderator Niki de los Reyes-Torres' Lecture

Mr. Gungon will be giving a lecture on "Religious Hagiography" and Iconography while Mr de los Reyes-Torres will be giving a lecture on"Headdress of Images Depicting Characters during the Time of Christ" on...

March 6 (Saturday; "Hermandad -TAPS Friendship Day" sponsored by FAMILIA DE LEON)
1:45 PM -- Welcome and Introduction of Guest Speakers
2:00 PM -- Lecture on "The Hagiography & Iconography of Lenten Images" by Prof. Dennis Gungon
3:00 PM -- Chaplet of Divine Mercy
4:00 PM -- Lecture on "Headdress of Images Depicting Characters during the Time of Christ" by Mr. Vincent Jordan Niklaus de los Reyes-Torres, PATDAT
5:00 PM -- OPEN FORUM
6:00 PM -- Stations of the Cross inside Clamshell I

The Hermandad exhibit runs from February 26 to March 14 at “WOW PHILIPPINES! CLAMSHELL I"



thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

TEN THINGS IN MY GAY MIND: end of year special

I obviously have not done this in a while; ergo I found it fitting that as the year draws to a close, that the Barefoot Baklesa posts one before the new year...

10. The Travesty that comes with Suffrage or should we call it SuffERage is upon us once again. The claws are out and the fangs are bared, as the monsters that are every Politician and Political Wannabe with enough spending power hath made their presence felt.

From the screeching of Regine Velasquez singing a worn out slogan ["Hindi Ka Nag-iisa"] that was better left in the 80s; to Erap Estrada's gloom and doom television ad signalling his return and the bad things that come with him; to Villar's sing-along videos that teaches us that former fish vendors must marry rich women with two episodes of Maala-ala Mo Kaya to support it; and special mention goes to Eddie Villanueva which summarizes to "Eddie Ako ang Nahihibang" [Dude, nobody made you president last time. Get a clue] "Eddie Ako and Walang Originality [What's with wearing color yellow? The last I checked, the Aquinos have worn that as a political color since the 80s... You don't know who you're messing with. Don't you know that Kris Aquino can throw you into media purgatory?]; all these are but signs that the dark cloud of National Elections are hovering over the islands.

And my latest pet peeve, I saw a tarpaulin ad of some local councilman that goes like this: "NINOY BIG BROTHER DOUBLE UP" -complete with the house and logo of the popular reality television show. Can anyone spell COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT? If the elect politicians themselves have/display a blatant disregard for basic laws, then we should think twice about what else he has no regard for.



Oh heaven help us... For I think we have not seen the last of Mar Roxas' constipated acting.

9. I'm thinking of recommending to have someone submitted for psychiatric evaluation or better yet, admitted to a psychiatric institution... will blog about this more soon... I think the United States Immigration Bureau takes the mental health of their people coming into their country seriously. Hahahahahaha!!!

8. Truly, someone like Efren Penaflorida deserves the honor of a CNN Hero and CNN Hero of the Year. There's much to be said about Filipino creativity and ingenuity with what he was able to come up with and continue to do. Hats off to you, brother!



However, this is my take on this: During one of my Sociology classes at the Ateneo long ago, our professor once said that, "We must never use education as the ready answer to society's problems." It seems easy to say, "Get them educated and they'll know better" but education doesn't really do much if the system and socio-dynamic to which they exist is not conducive to any kind of solution to the problem. Damned if you do, damned if you don't...

It's not easy what you do, Efren... I'm praying that you have enough strength to go on.

7. There is much to be appreciated with crisp starched sheets... I have to admit, that at this day and age, it is quite a luxury to have your sheets and pillowcases starched the old fashioned way and not the starch spray that comes in a can; but it just feels so good to sleep in starched bed linens.

That's one for the Barefoot Baklesa's Luxury List

6. To anyone who has seen him before, Jarrett Moreland is just the hottest!!! I reckon in this case, a picture's worth a thousand words, so I'll give you three...





5. "We put up a theatre company at the most difficult time, and here we are, three years later. Still surviving, still able to sell seats and shows, still able to do what we set out to do on day one."

-quoting Michael Williams, Artistic Director for Theater Down South



Here's one for gratitude [first to the Divine Maker]; for Theater Down South's third year in the theater scene. We'd like to thank our family, friends, sponsors, little supporters, and dare I say it -FANS- who bought tickets to our shows, applauded our performances, and asked us "What's next?"

YOU GUYS MAKE LOVING/DOING WHAT WE DO SO WORTH IT

click here Theater Down South to learn more about us...

4. Believe it or not, ubiquitous as it is with Christmas Ham, I actually missed Christmas Fruitcake. I just could not stop munching on it! And the ones we got were homemade; which made it all the more addicting!!!

3. I can say that the last quarter of this year was the time in my life that I used up enough glitter to last a craft hobbyist three lifetimes... Crazy-cut, Regular, Fine, Glass Dust, Opaque, Translucent -name it, I have used kilograms of it. I'm sure somewhere out there, Martha Stewart is very proud of me...



2. To my dearest Kenneth, you already know this, but its worth saying it over and over: "Sometimes, people who argue over the stupidest things are those that care about each other the most."

You know how I feel about you, ergo like you said, there's no need to be cheesy about it. Hehehehehe....

1. Whoever it is that invented the "hot-melt glue gun" should receive the recognition he/she deserves for making all our crafting lives easier.

HAVE A HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!


...thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

On the Sixth Day of Christmas: Looking Back at the Chris_MESS

Before anything else, allow me to greet you a Happy Christmas and wish you the warmest this most joyous of holidays.

If the infrequency of my Blog Posts are any indication of the current state of schedule juggling I had to deal with, then permit me to do and Uncle Scar and go, "You have no idea..."


Week after week since the middle of October, deadline after deadline seemed to have just replaced the previous one that I seem to have faced the Holiday Rush-slash-Crunch quite unprepared. Those who know me personally, can attest to the fact that Christmas is such a big deal for me... And by big deal, I mean "Put-on-your-Martha-Stewart-apron-and-Better-Homes-&-Gardens-rubber-gloves". I have exhausted every Christmas issue of every home magazine I could find to plan the theme and treatments for the coming Christmas. It's usually after I take down my Halloween stuff that I start working on sections of the house in the weeks that would lead to December 1st.


However this year, such was not the case. It was already December 8th when I had the chance to start on some parts of the house and not until the 17th that we had some cohesive Christmas look -left to be finished. Case in point, twas by December 24th around 7:00pm that I was able to hang the last wreath at the cathedral window at our stairway. Oh yeah, that's really cutting it close. Consider then, the fact that I had just come from setting-up three venues the night before for the three mall shows we had come Christmas Day.


Yup, you read it right...three mall shows on Christmas Day...and two of those three malls had two performances each.We literally were tasked to bring joy and cheer then.


On the days leading to that, you could hear people in the company going, "Good luck sa atin, Kapatid!" or "Double-Dead Rehearsals today." or "Life? What Life?"

Sidebar: As I type away, I noticed how I can't seem to get into my blogging pace or call it groove...


But the point is, we survived. And I am thankful for the people that were with us during those days when we just had to push to get things done.

You gotta love what you're doing to be able to do the impossible.

So there, enjoy the rest of the Holidays!


...thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

it may seem broken to you, but for me, it's perfect... [stopping a brittle heart from breaking]

"It isn't easy here without you
why did you leave me?
What am I supposed to do
without you?

What if the world were a little more perfect
would you stop crying?
would you take the lead?
and what if the world were a little more perfect
would you open your eyes?"


I don't know if this matters at this time, if these are just words to you, if all of that was for nothing...

at this point, I'm a little numb.... things seem so unreal... fighting for you isn't.


thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa

tell me not in mournful numbers...

I shall speak this is the vernacular, Perhaps it will come across the way it should...

May mga tao talagang kung magsalita o magparinig eh akala mo sila ang iniwan mo sa gitna ng kawalan, ano? Minsan nga naman, kung wala ka nang silbi ay itatapon ka na lang gaya ng gamit na napagsawaan... Mahirap marinig yung mga salitang, "Parang wala tayong pinagsamahan ah," pero minsan nga naman magagawa mong masambit katagang ito...

there's a point about people's worth i wish to hammer on here, but it's so not worth it at this point... this is me, smug, knowing I made the right choice.



thus spake, the Barefoot Baklesa

on this blog soon: The Barefoot Baklesa's Impressions

Soon, I shall be posting casual conversations with people I find to be of interest in this tapestry of people in my online and real life... People leave certain impressions of themselves at every encounter; and it's not just the first one, really. With me, it goes beyond that. [But of course there are those Neanderthals that at the first instance you know they'll evolve into the Ostrogoths or the Visigoths of later barbaric times! Hahahahhaha!!!]

I'll try to portray these people as I see them, as what i think of what they think, as what they mean more/less than what they say... You'd be surprised how differently some things come out.

One can never know a person entirely, but there's a lot to be learned with what they want you to know about them and what that is they care to share...

As the first in this series, I shall be featuring model and talent
RYU DAIGO -who was nice enough to allow me to feature him as the first in this series-

Here's hoping you guys enjoy this one...

photo courtesy of Bubum Melgar, just click on the link, guys...


thus spake the Barefoot Baklesa