Lent, Food, and a Few Musings

The Lenten season has ended. Belated happy Easter! I hope you had a reflective one this year. We've been busy the past few weeks, but now I have the time to write, so here we go.

Lenten Season 2022

After two years, the church near us finally opened its doors to celebrate Palm Sunday. It felt good to experience the whole feast again. Almost everyone came in their best Sunday dresses, and the place was packed (we attended the second mass at 8 AM). A lot of policemen were also present to ensure peace and order. I didn't take photos there anymore because of the big crowd. Sobrang puno yung simbahan, yung tipong maiilang ka to get your phone and take a picture kasi baka mahablot. It was organized, but it doesn't hurt to be careful.

This year’s religious observance had me spending more hours reflecting than the previous ones. Ang dami kong mga bagay na pinag-isipan. I went through the different aspects of my life and examined each one to have a closer look and refresh my vision. It was worth my while. Nakita ko rin yung mga dating sinulat ko sa diary ko na natupad na (parang kelan lang). The rest, kelangan pang trabahuhin. Ayun. Thank God we're still alive and well. People are dying, if not starving, at this very moment in other parts of the world. We are lucky we don't have to worry about where to get our next meal or think about where we have to sleep for the night. Some fret about these things daily.

Many people do fasting or give up something they usually indulge in for the whole duration of the Lenten season. I gave up eating an excessive amount of chocolates and beef this year. How about you? For the benefit of those wondering why there is a need to sacrifice our luxuries during this time, it’s because it’s a way of somehow honoring the suffering and death of Jesus. In addition, it’s a way to practice self-restraint, mindfulness, and introspection.

About Repentance

Lent is more than fasting and abstaining. It's also about repentance, which involves reviewing our actions, feeling sorrow for our mistakes, and committing to changing ourselves for the better. No one is perfect. At some point in our lives, we have hurt others with our thoughts, actions, and even simple remarks that may be nothing to us but are offensive to others. Sana naman kung may nasaktan ako nang hindi ko alam, okay lang sya. It’s not good to be the reason for someone’s agony or sadness. Sometimes it's easy to feel annoyance or frustration towards those who did us wrong, not knowing that we may have caused someone else to feel the same way.

Our Delectable & Flavorful Lunch

I cooked one of my favorites today: Bagoong Fried Rice and Dwaeji Kalbi Chicken with Green mangoes. The dish was really yummy, we ate a lot! Hehe. I love how the flavors burst in your mouth with every spoonful. You get the savory saltiness of Bagoong, the spicy kick from the chicken, and the tang from the mango strips. Mama would have loved this if she was here. It's one of her favorite things to order when we dine outside. Niluluto ko palang naglalaway nako dahil sa mangga eh haha.

Anyway, since we happened to have leftover shrimp paste, I decided to finish it by making Bagoong fried rice. To make it healthier, I added bits of corn, carrots, and Baguio beans. As for the meat, I used Kim’s sweet and spicy marinade, which worked just as great with chicken (see photo above). I'll share my personal recipe next time. This is easy to make.

Sunny Weather

Having lived by the beach for quite some time now, we're already used to the scorching hot weather and the bright sun. It's on a different level these days, though. Para kang nasa sauna, kahit sa sala. At ang mga labada, in 2 hours tuyo na. It can be draining because the heat gets to you. Drinking plenty of water is the least you can do to combat the weather. Making time for relaxation also helps with preventing exhaustion. With this, Hubs and I took a break and made light cocktails. Pampalamig narin habang nagkkwentuhan.

Customized the Rest of my Gadgets

If you’ve seen my video about Lenovo’s value-for-money Chromebook, you’ll know that I covered it with a marble sticker that I purchased online. Well, guess what? Since I had some extra left, I used it to customize my USB hub and power bank. It turned out to look nice. Not bad (I think). Now they’re all matching. I bought the laptop sticker from September Co.

I guess that would be all for today. Thanks for reading today's post. Kain ka muna. O sya. Stay safe & God bless!

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