poems for...

john
by joe

the daffodils await
in bloom.
spring is here.
the wind and sun
beckon.
your memories
come
to mind.
i miss
the mystery
of the hesitant smile.
yet
only the dust
of your ashes
may come
with the wind.
finally
i can say -
friend,
farewell.

picture from http://teas-herbals.com

thoughts in filipino

once in a while, thoughts of home would haunt me and i cannot help but to have mixed feelings of joy and a certain sadness. i know that i really miss home in those moments. how i long for it! writing those thoughts help me in coping with the longing, especially when there is nobody around to share them with...


bangka
ni joe

malayo na

higit pa sa laot

ang nabagtas at naabot.

makababalik pa kaya

sa pamamagitan ng sagwan

o ng lumang layag

o kahit ng pagpapatianod na lamang

sa along asa nawa'y hahalik

muli sa nilisang

dalampasigan?

dadaong pa kaya

ang bangkang nababad nang kaytagal

sa maasing tubig banyaga?

di ba't dati'y

kaybilis ng maghapon?

kukurap lang

at ang araw'y lulubog na.

ngayon wari'y

walang hanggan

ang sikat ng araw.

kanlura't silanga'y

tila nagsanib

at maging mga bituin

ay patuloy nang

nakakubli.

nakakapagod,

nakakapanlupaypay

ang maghintay

ng sisilay na kahahantungan

nyaring paglalakbay

o pagtakas sa katotohanan?

dishes i cooked

cooking in mongolia is quite exciting and challenging. very limited variety of vegetables - not much local crops and mostly are imported from nearby china. meat products consist of mutton, beef, chicken and pork. tofu - fresh and dried is available. the local mushroom has a good texture and flavor but once winter is around, it only becomes available in dried form. seasonings and herbs come from abroad too - korea, japan, china and some european and south american countries.

fruits - apples, pears, grapes, bananas, plums among others, are imported as well.dairy products available are milk, yogurt, cheese (local and imported ones), dried yogurt and butter.

here are some of what i made out of what was in the market and groceries...

philippine 'ginisang munggo'

(steamed rice with sauteed mung beans)

dried tofu cut into strips, with green beans

fried tofu, sauteed with red onions and yellow tomatoes, seasoned with fish dashi

fried rice with egg and pork strips, on a bed of dried korean seaweeds

the apartment

i live right within the city center. there are commercial shops, cafes and bars, restaurants, markets and mini-groceries, and guesthouses or hostels.

my flat is a building away from the state department store (ihk delguur). the store used to be owned by the government, hence the name, but now is in the hands of a local rich family.

across the store and a block away is the circus. within this area are pubs and restaurants - the ihk mongol and irish pub for example, merkuri market - meat and vegetable stalls and groceries, naran shop which is an expensive store, a korean shop - for beef and pork cuts, a german food shop - for spices, cheese and sausages, and good price - a mini import store with a bakery.

about two blocks behind the state department store is bombuguur plaza. it is a store of stalls for groceries, veggies, meat, houseware, textile and clothes, and electronic equipment. there is also a microbus station around the plaza.

further back is the tinggis cinema where local and foreign films are shown.

four blocks to the north of the state department store is the suhkbaatar square, parliament building, the post office, central library and opera theater.

now here is a typical apartment set-up.

the kitchen

the dining area

the bedroom side

the bath

the living room side

the foyer (sort of)

the heating is centralized in ulaanbaatar. there are schedules for commercial and residential buildings when to commence for the winter, and when to stop during spring.

there are, though not so often, power interruptions - from half an hour to 3 hours or half a day. sometimes, the water goes off too - hot and cold. bad is when you do not have hot water.