Water
Written by Major Tom
Filed under: Personal and Family
October 15, 2007
It was late afternoon yesterday when the wife had hollered from the kitchen on what we’re supposed to eat for dinner. I was at the computer vehemently doing something at that moment that I just told her succinctly —nearly shouting at the top of my voice—that we’d just better buy some fish available just across the street and have them fried or open up some canned goods if there was any. I was in a state that I wouldn’t care anymore about what I am about to gobble up since there was just a bounty of food over the weekend, Friday being Fiesta Pilar where Evelyn (the wife) had prepared some special food, like pancit (I wonder why there should always be pancit on special occasions) and a horde of fruit salads—hordes because my Mom bought more canned fruit salads when she had arrived and everyone here seem to adore fruit salads that we keep on eating it even till the day after. And on Saturday, me and the kids were at my Uncle Mameng’s house for the Eid’l Ftir celebration and lots of very special, spicy food over there, like chicken curries and this black beef soup known simply as tiulah itum (black soup).
And mind you the city mayor was also there as Uncle Mameng works for him at the City Hall as an adviser and it’s probably the only time of the year where Mayor Celso Lobregat would alight from his government-provided service vehicle and walk-in just like any ordinary invitees, with no armed bodyguards at that, and with just a few companion, including a city councilor who is a fraternity brod of mine.
So where was I? Oh, about the wife asking what food we’re going to eat on that sleepy twilight yesterday and the kids suddenly went rambunctious and demanded that we’d have fried chicken for the evening table. That means I would have to drive a couple of kilometer to score that damn whole fried chicken. So off I went with my white, compact, fuel-efficient, and ultra-fast (at least that’s what I’d like to believe it to be) KIA Pride, albeit it’s so small like a kid’s car and the paint on it is fading fast, fading like a flower as one song goes.
After buying the whole fried chicken that the children wanted so badly that night, I felt like I couldn’t take another morsel of special food (like fried chicken) into my tummy. I thought I’d buy fish and hovered lazily towards Puericulture Center at the heart of downtown, where it remains alive as a food center deep into the evening, where hordes of people were trotting to and fro, eating and buying cooked food, while some were gorging on beer and singing along upon Karaokes, making the whole place a lot noisier than what it was already, probably singing away some loneliness or heartbreak.
I felt a little unusual that it took me nearly an hour just to buy fastfood downtown even while the road was almost free of traffic at that time. I arrived home feeling a little tired even when I had thought that I shouldn’t have been, for all I did was line-up for a fried chicken and waited for the chicken barbecue to be fully cooked at Puericulture (I had decided by the way against buying roasted fish as I had a sudden fancy for the spicy hot chicken that had made that place so popular in this town).
And I felt so thirsty upon arriving home and went straight towards the refrigerator and downed every amount of water in a pitcher. I was so glad and thankful for water at that time. I felt so very thirsty that I was so grateful that water is free (or almost free) and I didn’t had to shell out a single centavo for that.
Aren’t we all glad that water is free (or almost free)? All the special foods and all I wanted at that very moment were ice-cold water, and I felt so darnly that it was what all I ever needed at that time. Reminded me for certain how this often-quoted anonymous guy had once said that the best things in life are free. Fried chicken? Black beef soup? Pancit? Fruit Salads?
Give me water please.
ay, with that kind of run, yes, water is heaven! We should be happy that we still can drink clean water. Other parts of Africa are suffering from the lack of clean or water itself. War torn countries are likewise suffering.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, major tom!
Comment by ipanema — October 15, 2007 @ 10:15 pm
smelling the burning leaves back home in the province…one of the best things in life and it’s free.
so true…:)
Comment by verns — October 16, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Haha! Major Tom, over here, water is not free! We buy it at the purification stations.
Know what - I did this several times when alone at home, and actually I am tempted to do it right now because I am alone again here in the house and I’m lazy to cook food for me alone: I had chicken joy delivered from Jollibee! Wupee! and I disposed the cartons so discreetly so my house mates won’t see what I had for dinner - and demand for their share! haha! Selfish, greedy me!
Comment by rhodora — October 16, 2007 @ 6:28 pm
Amen, bro! Dito sa UK, lahat ang mahal, buti na lang libre lang tubig, kundi aangal na talaga ako..Hehe.
Comment by Gypsy — October 17, 2007 @ 6:44 am
funny I also get so thirsty after eating a couple of fried chicken and chips, must be the salt, definitely the salt!
you’re wife’s name is lovely btw
Comment by pining — October 17, 2007 @ 6:54 pm
The fried chicken in your place must be really good and that’s why your kids crave for it.
We have to buy drinking water here in Cambodia.
Comment by Toe — October 17, 2007 @ 7:44 pm
Tough luck for us ordinary citizens, while governors and congressmen got P200,000 to P500,000 for free, we have to settle for free water and free air.
Comment by Schumey — October 18, 2007 @ 7:50 am
“the wife”
i thought that was sweet. haha.
Comment by barrycade — October 19, 2007 @ 11:01 am
glug.. glug… glug… glug…
Comment by Mon — October 19, 2007 @ 3:59 pm
I missed the puericulture, bro…
Comment by pixel502 — October 20, 2007 @ 3:49 am
Here in the states, water is free from the tap (or faucet), undergoing several treatments before being deemed drinkable. Yet so many people buy bottled water, which some say is oftentimes of inferior quality to tap water.
Comment by Wil — October 20, 2007 @ 5:20 am
There’s evidence that people aren’t taking water lightly any longer. The latest fad is supposedly clean, pure water which goes on sale all the time at supermarkets here. It’s a new market that had health conscious consumers here spending their hard earned dollars instead of the relatively clean tap water that is always available - for free
Comment by bw — October 20, 2007 @ 6:45 am
Unfortunately, my drinking water is not free — I have to pay 20 pesos per five gallons of purified water. And for the rest of the water that I use, Nawasa sends me a monthly bill.
However, I’m glad that I’ve been drinking more water than soft drinks as of late and feel much better for it
By the way, I, too, have a Kia Pride which is wonderful not only because it’s gas efficient, but it’s wonderful as well when weaving in and out of Manila traffic. It’s quite fast also compared to the 4x4 that sits in the garage most times.
Comment by eric — October 20, 2007 @ 7:08 am
Since when did water become free? Nothing is free these days, at least not in my place…
Comment by snglguy — October 20, 2007 @ 11:09 am
To ipanema: Imagine that. Africa is such a rich place in natural water yet they’ve got problem with water. We’re still fortunate.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:26 pm
To verns: Definitely, there’s a great truth behind the popular saying.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:27 pm
To Rhodora: Uhmmm, that luscious Chicken joy. Once I was so hungry and I haven’t ate in Jollibbe for months, we were invited to a bday party at the said food joint and my oh my, it’s undescribable how that chicken is so tasty when one is so hungry and raring to eat.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
To Gypsy: Mahal nga daw dyan ang mga bilihin. Me kakilala akong nurse dyan na dito pa siya bumibili ng mga shirts and jeans.
Hopefully, you’re get around this difficulty in your stay there.
Budget lang sis.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:32 pm
To pining: According to my mother-in-law, she chose Evelyn because it had meant “the lovely one” or “the blessed one”.
I wonder if my thirstiness is a symptom of some health concern. I am worried a little now.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:34 pm
To Toe: The fried chicken I bought that night is from a local food joint called Family Fried Chicken. It became so popular that its maker had so many branches here in the city. It’s a homegrown success. Taste and reasonable price was the key to such success I guess.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:36 pm
To Schumey: Truth to be said, there’s also some truth to the saying “some guys have all the luck”.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:38 pm
To barrycade: Too much reading Russian novels(particularly Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s) in the past had conformed to this style.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
To Mon: Be easy on water though; too much of it ain’t good at all. Just like any substance. Once when I was little, I was playing this card game and the one who loses drinks a glass of water. It was the time I realized how painful water could be, if too much of it is taken in.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:54 pm
To pix: Hi, bro. How come I have not heard from you. Kumusta. Hope you left your email.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:56 pm
To Wil: I imagine how we don’t exactly know what does water bottling companies put in those nifty-looking plastic bottles. They must possibly be just tap water pretending to be classy mineral water.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 12:58 pm
To BW: It’s somewhat like that hereat bro where every home has an equipment where you get mineral water out of a large gallon situated upside down. Me and my wife is thinking of having that soon. It’s truly a concern now.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 1:02 pm
To eric: At 20 pesos per five gallon, that’s quite reasonable. I thought purified water would cost more than that.
It’s one reason why I decided to buy the Kia Pride, it has a good modern engine for a small car and it’s fuel efficient. I used to drive my wife’s owner-type jeep and would you believe it had cost us less to commute on tricycles than driving with the jeep. It was a gas guzzler.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 1:05 pm
To sngl: Not really free, but I thought almost coz usually you just get it from the fridge or the tap. Kaya lang me bayad nga in the form of rising water bills. Salamat na lang it is not as costly as softdrinks or fruit juices.
Comment by Major Tom — October 20, 2007 @ 1:08 pm
that is so true. we are still fortunate. there’s water crisis in some parts. a pity.
Comment by ipanema — October 21, 2007 @ 9:33 pm
Nothing beats freshwater any day! I think I have more of the usual 8 glasses a day. But I’d also like to taste those chicken you bought hehe.
Comment by Ferdz — October 22, 2007 @ 11:48 am
Lucky you, you get your water for free. Last time I paid my water bill, I had to shell out over $300. That’s because our faucet in the basement had been leaking and the husband didn’t fix it only until later. It had been leaking for months. Now I wouldn’t stop badgering him if I hear the slightest drip from any of the taps.
Comment by niceheart — October 22, 2007 @ 11:58 am
Agree with bw and wil in regards to water. It is well known that bottled water sources are the same as tap water, actually most from tap water and re-bottled. I still prefer tap water, because it is flourinated for cavities prevention, while checking most bottled water there is no flouride. Still the best water, the Great Lakes’cost next to nothing or maybe the Mississipi’s?
Comment by vic — October 22, 2007 @ 12:20 pm
To ipanema: We need to conserve water extensively in that case.
Comment by Major Tom — October 22, 2007 @ 7:01 pm
To Ferdz: 8 glasses is the required amount as we learn it from school but I could down a pitcher in the morning, at noon and in the evening in most days.
Oh, the chicken at Family Fried Chicken is uniquely tasted, fried in very deep cooking oil, and it is like no other. I don’t say that it should be tastier than Kenny Roger’s or KFC, but it offers something not of the ordinary. If you happen to be in the city, you surely don’t want to miss it.
Comment by Major Tom — October 22, 2007 @ 7:04 pm
To niceheart: We also had leakings about a month ago and our bills shot-up radically. Fortunately, the water district here allowed as to pay the average after investigating the cause of the leaks.
Comment by Major Tom — October 22, 2007 @ 7:07 pm
To vic:Hope the Great Lakes is not yet hindered by urban pollution as most water sources are feared nowadays. Our source of water in the city emanates from deep into the jungle and it could be safely assumed that it is still untouched by urbanity and still safe.
Comment by Major Tom — October 22, 2007 @ 7:09 pm
Ang dami na talagang choices ngayon over cooking our own food in our kitchen. A study shows that families spend less time in the kitchen nowadays than say a decade ago — because of the advent of instant mixes, ready to cook food packs, microwaveable dinners, and yes the proliferation of fast food shops and variants of it, some of which take orders by phone.
Anyway you made buying your dinner such an adventure. We have equivalents of Grill Queen in our neighborhood. And every time I have a hankering for inihaw all I have to do is send for it. Sarap. Mura pa.
Comment by annamanila — October 25, 2007 @ 1:35 pm