Preparing for my Southeast Asian Travels

When the student is ready the teacher will come. For years whenever we dine at Japanese and Chinese restaurants, I resisted learning how to use chopsticks. I just didn’t feel the need. I’d always ask for “kubyertos”—for fork and spoon. My friends would protest, appeal to reason, and finally glare at me, but I’d just dig my heels in, deriving perverse pleasure from defying them. Lately, I have turned into a new leaf—I now eat lunch with chopsticks. Blame this on my impending travel to neighboring countries. I have been asking my colleagues for their stash, and in case those would run out I have on standby the steel ones, a gift from an officemate from her Korean sojourn.

Pictured here is my latest attempt at mastering the wooden utensils. I usually order meals with bite-size bits. Lunch is kilawin—a Kapampangan stew of pork meat, liver, heart and kidneys. Yes, I’m not a picky eater. I also like the Pangasinan version—higado—sweetish from bell peppers, but that would be something for my food blog.