Food, Table, Flowers

I went to the Farmers Market yesterday around 6 pm to check out what’s available. Edmund told me not to buy crab and prawns since Zaldy and Elmer own a prawn and crab farms.

I saw a different variety of crab, not the usual black king crab. And some large headed shrimps called ulang.

I told the red crab vendor/ stall owner named Jonathan that I would buy several kilos of red crab. I asked what time they open.
Omb———— “Alas sais yung party namin, anon’g oras kayo nagbubukas?”
Jonathan——- “Punta ka alas tres”.
Jonathan—— “Kahit alas kwatro, tamang-tama may parating ako bukas, fresh”.
Omb———– “Maaga ng konti kasi lulutuin ko pa”.
Jonathan—— “Mga alas tres bukas na kami”.
Omb———– “Ng hapon?”
Jonathan—— “Alas tres ng madaling araw”.

Omb———- “Sobrang aga naman, tanghali na siguro ako pupunta”.
Jonathan ——- “Mga alas kwatro.
Omb—————– “”Hindeee”.
Jonathan———— “Kahit mga alas sinko ka na lang pumunta, ire-serve ko sa’yo”.
Omb———- “Tulog pa ako nun, mga tanghali na”.
Jonathan—– “Sige mam, punta ka alas syete”.

I went today at 1:30 pm. I bought 6 kilos of red crab and several kilos of ulang, the large prawns with big heads.

Edmund sent me a text message at 2 pm that the dragon and lion dancers were on their way to our house. Sorry I missed it, I still have a lot of errands for our New Year’s party tonight.

I saw a truckload of dragon and lion dancers at the corner of Ortigas Avenue and Wilson.
Maybe they’re the one?

Edmund was worried it’s already 3:30 pm and we don’t have any food yet. When he saw me came home holding the trays of cooked prawns and crabs, he gave a sigh of relief. Kala daw nya namalengke ako.
Yes I bought those things fresh from the wet market but I found a restaurant that willingly cooked them for me. Para mabilis, kesa iuuwi ko pa at ma-stress pa ako giving instructions to the maids on how to butterfly the prawns. I also do not have a big enough kawali to cook them.

Ulang with butter and lots of garlic

Steamed red crabs with ginger and leaks

Edmund———— “Tulungan nyo si mam, ibaba yung mga pagkain”.
Driver———— “Wala na sir”.
Edmund———— “Yan lang, nasan yung ibang pagkain?”

I ordered more food from a Chinese restaurant, the traditional Chinese dishes, None of my staff know how to cook them, I would get stressed cooking them myself. Baka our guests would already be here and yet I am still in the kitchen cooking pancit canton.

I checked our table set-up if the maids were able to follow my simple instructions.
9 chairs naka-siksik sa 3 tables and one chair nadun sa malayo.

I was looking for the chair pads. They placed them inside the chair covers.
I want them outside.

It’s 5:30 pm, my kitchen counter is almost ready. I discovered I don’t have enough matching soup bowls. My things are a little bit of this and a little bit of that. I don’t have a complete set of one single item good for twenty people.

The little orange trees are decors from last year. My daughter bought them, they’re cute.

Okay, the flowers have arrived.

I at first ordered all red flowers but I changed my mind and told them to put some whites.
This is not red and white. This is gold and red. Okay na nga rin.

This corner used to have orchids, I had everything removed yesterday because the plants were all dead, the wood was bulok and anay infested. I have to put something in this corner to hide the alulod (water drain / downspout).

The waiters have arrived. I asked them to start lighting the candles.

I covered the plastic tables with disposable paper covers with plastic lining. Those I bought from Hayward maybe ten years ago. They’re supposed to be disposable but since I seldom used them, I fold after every use and store for next use. Mura lang yan mga $5 per pack of 3. In the US, they’re thrown away. Kasi nadudumihan, sa akin, I only use them as underlay kaya hindi nadudumihan. Pag nadumihan, itapon na lang. My sister has a lot of those.