While Frank (the typhoon last Sunday, June 22) was busy lashing the whole country, I remembered that dad brought back from Bicol a variety of  banana called pinipita -- that's what it's called in Bikol. It's firmer than saba. Here's how this kind of banana looks:

Pinipita

peeled and sliced

Anyway, I thought of cooking these bananas--unripe, just perfect for pinakro--instead of just looking out the window, watching some falling trees and leaves flying in all direction or just listening to angry howling of the wind. I went with the taskfast: washed the bananas, peeled and sliced them in quarters so they'd cook fast. I soaked them in water (to pevent discoloration) while I squeezed the niyog. You can use canned coconut but I prefer the 'real' niyog. Mas masarap. :D

On with the cooking. I placed the sliced bananas in a pot, poured the coconut milk, added a dash of salt and brown sugar, covered the pot and placed it on the stove. By the way, I used the coconut milk obtained from the second squeezing and set aside the kakang gata (coconut milk obtained from the first squeezing). After 5 or 10 minutes, when half of the coconut milk has evaporated, I added the kakang gata, then covered the pot again. I only had to wait for a few more minutes and voila! Yum-yum merienda. Look:

Presenting: Pinakrong Batag (banana)

A closer look.

You can sprinkle sugar on top -- a lot if you like. Or dip it in honey. I think that would really taste good. Haven't tried it though. :D

I wait for a different 'event' in May. I'm a probinsyana, a girl from the countryside. I grew up running along cornfields, chasing chickens, walking between paddy fields and watching rice stalks gracefully dancing to the music of the provincial breeze, climbing guava trees, collecting sticky sap from the trunk of jackfruit trees and use it to catch dragonflies and butterflies in the field (hell! I didn't even know the existence of the net!).

May is a month of many festivities. But aside from Flores de Mayo and the numerous fiestas in almost every corner of the country, I anticipate the coming of the first rain of May, better known to us probincianos/probincianas as Agua de Mayo. I remember my grandmother telling us that the first rain of May is sacred. It's a blessing. Others believe that it's similar to agua bendita or holy water and it has healing powers. For whatever other reasons, Agua de Mayo is important to agricultural communities. An ample amount of rain during this month signals a good planting season for rice farmers. I'm really praying for a good planting season and good harvest for our farmers and a sincere hope that we'll get through the rice crisis.

Anyway, when it rained on the first day of May, I couldn't let the event pass by. I just had to get out and feel the rain on my skin. And take pictures, of course!

Raindrops keep falling on my... hand! Lamig!

Welcoming the rain.

The fog almost covered the mountains.

Kadalasan Ingles ang gamit ko kapag nagbablog. Hindi ako gaanong ah, magaling sa Filipino. Sa katunayan nga eh, maliban sa Physics, Filipino ang pinakamahina kong aralin/paksa sa eskwelaha n'ung araw. Gusto kong paniwalaan na mas mabuti ang kalagayan ko sa paksang Filipino ngayon, huwag na lang nating tanungin ang guro namin.

Konti nalang at mag-Iingles na ako. Mahirap mag blog sa Filipino pag Visayan ang nakasanyan tsaka kung hindi naman, Ingles ang alternatibo, oo, bisaya nga ako. Ngayon, patriyotiko ata, tagaleg 'tong si ate. Nakatago ako sa maliit na lungsod na sentro ng isang probinsya. Para makapunta ka sa kung saan man nagtago si Rizal noon, kailangan mo pang bisitain ang lugar namin, maliban nalang kung magbabarko.

Nakakasulat lang ako ng Filipino sa mga kathang pinapasulat sa amin noon. Inspired lang siguro akong mag Filipino kasi natapos ko ng basahin ang ikatatlong libro ko na ang may akda ay si Bob Ong. Siguro kung mababasa ito ng dati kong titser sa Filipino, mapapahiya siguro 'yun. Sa susunod kong posts ay mag Iingles nalang ako, bawas kahihiyan, ika ko.

Walang pasok ngayon... Hindi naman, ayoko lang pumasok. Tinatamad ako. Mangungumpanya lang naman sila ngayon, wala akong magagawa d'un kundi makipagusap ng kung kanino, wala namang pupuntahan kuwentuhan namin, nakakatuwa nga, pero tinatamad ako. Nakikinig ako ngayon kay Bryan Adams, "summer of 69" Hindi ko naman siya kilala, naka shuffle kasi Itunes ko.

Sa pang anim na talata ng blog na ito, ano naba ang nalaman natin? Ako ay isang probinsyana, probinsyanang hindi gaanong "promdi" na nakatira sa isang lungsod, natatamad, nainspire, hindi gaanong marunong mag Filipino at nababato.

Ano pa ba kailangan malaman tungkol kay yours truly? fan ako ng Nickelback, Switchfoot, Stereophonics, Imago, Sandwich, Kamikazee, Esthero, Itchyworms, Corinne Bailey Rae, Michael Buble, Lenny Kravitz, Melissa Etheridge, Cranberries at marami pang ibang mga musikero. Pagkatapos kong mapaliwanagan ng dilaw na libro na nakabaliktad ni Bob Ong, na hindi ko pa alam ang totoong pangaan, binabasa ko ngayon(hindi ngayon as in, right now pero alam mo na ibig kong sabihin :) ) ang libro ni Alice Walker na "The Color Purple" na kay tagal ko ng sinubukang hanapin at ngayon ay natagpuan ko na.

Paborito kong flavor ng icecream ay Coffee Crumble. Hindi tinanggap ni Mrs. B ang proyekto ko sa English. Nawala ko ang una kong eyeglasses na kulay itim sa gitna at pula naman sa gilid at ang gamit ko ngayon ay itim na lang lahat. Gusto ko na ring palitan ang keyboard ko, may mga keys kasing nakakaloke, wala lang akong pambili.

Nangangarap akong may bibisita sa blog na 'to, mag comment, magkaroon ng sariling bahay at kotse, makatapos ng kolehiyo at makabili ng bagong relo. Oo, in any order 'yan. Sana lang mas mauuna kong makamit ang dalawa sa pinakauna(tama ba 'yon?).

Oo nga pala, pwede mo kong tawaging AnakniTetangpulah, o AnTe for short. Gawan mo 'ko ng bagong palayaw na sa 'yo rin 'yon. Maraming salamat . :)

AnakniTetangpulah,

seryosong tumatawa