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Breakfast is a staple part in anyone’s diet. You’ve probably heard the statement: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Although cliché, I do agree. People shouldn’t skip and leave it out in their daily routine. Not only does it give you energy for a happier and positive day ahead, but health experts say that it can also make you smarter, slimmer and sweeter. If I would associate myself with any type of food item, it would be those delicious pastries cooked in a pan. Not only do I love eating them, but I love making and cooking them as well. When I make them, I always love smelling the batter. All the dry and wet ingredients mixed together makes the loveliest and sweetest smell in the world. Those eggs, flour mix, and water incorporated into one really makes the best combination.

The next step after making the batter, I love just as much. It’s when the butter sizzles in the pan and the smell just starts to spread around the kitchen and the dining room.  This is probably where all the technicalities and geometry of cooking come in. You have to pour in just the right amount of batter, which would be the part I always struggle in. I always carefully pour in the batter but somehow, I don’t always end up with a perfect circle. So I try to fix the shape and it just becomes even weirder. That’s why when I do make that perfect round figure, it's quite fulfilling. The next step is flipping the pancake. Again, just the right amount of waiting time will do. You don’t want to end up face-to-face with a dark piece of inedible pastry. Experts say that when you see bubbles on top, this is the best time to flip the batter over. But based on personal experience, this doesn’t always work. I see bubbles, I flip it and it lands as this messy thing on the pan. Nevertheless, whether it’s perfect or not, I enjoy putting it on the plate, topping it with butter, pouring a generous amount of syrup, and putting all of it in my tummy.

Lorraine Tiu
3ELS2

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HANNAH MONTANA

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HANNAH PANADERO

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How to be u?

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I love pakbet!!! Zambales represent!! Hashahaha

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When I was a kid, I’d watch in awe as my dad ate, not because of the mountainous cup of rice he serves in his own plate but because of his daily routine whenever we start to eat. What always surprised me is that he has this habit of dipping every food he eats in a soy sauce with calamansi and diced peppers or “beng-beng”, as what he calls it. Even food that is not really match to dip in it, like bread, mashed potato, eggs, and sometimes fries, he will still dip every bite of it. It’s really weird but it was never really weird for my dad. I felt so curious and I tried doing it, I had a bit of experiment in every food I ate, I was surprised because it ends up delicious. I discovered that I love spicy foods. I really like the taste of spiciness and the pain of sensation that burns my tongue whenever I eat spicy foods. Psychologists said that people who love spicy foods are thrill seekers. The reason why people enjoy the burning sensation of spicy food is the same reason why some people enjoy potentially dangerous activities. And, I do think I am a thrill seeker. I love doing things that I am afraid doing, but I do take courage to do it.

by Mary Jolina Francisco

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Steamed okra + Bagoong with calamansi = HEAVEN

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I love sinigang too <3

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Being asked about my favorite food can be likened to being asked about a Math question. Aside from I need ample of time to answer, I will also beat around the bush—coming to a path towards a specific answer and then suddenly crossing it out to create a new path again, then in the end I would definitely provide an answer despite my awareness of its error. Why: because my mind will never be able to provide an answer to such an absurd question. Favorite food? How could you choose one food over the other? That’s disrespectful!

However, it will be pointless if I won’t provide you any “favorite” food—although I know this would change as soon as I start giving reasons to why it’s my favorite food.

Among the cuisines, Italian is what I like the most. Among their dishes, it always boils down to which pasta. When I was young, I always liked Spaghetti—in birthday parties, Jollibee, or Mcdonalds, or Pasta in Red Sauce/Pasta in Tomato Sauce—in authentic Italian Restaurants wherein you don’t pay as you order. I once attended a birthday party, and I was so excited because they have spaghetti, when I was about to scoop I was hesitant because of its pinkish colored sauce and half-cooked hotdogs, but the host of the party said “Yes, hija, I made that. Want me to help you?” And of course being the polite girl that I am, I smiled and then she started scooping a plateful. It was quite alarming, however I told myself, “It’s Spaghetti, that’s your favorite.” Then I tasted it. It was a Sweet Style Spaghetti. I felt shiver down my spine and I felt chicken skin on my jaws. From then, if the Spaghetti is pinkish, I pretend that I don’t eat them. I wonder if it would make the Spaghetti feel like how Jesus felt when Judas betrayed him.

From that fateful event, I tried different pastas. Probably I grew up too, and my taste buds became curious about how other pastas do taste. So I turned to Carbonara, Pesto, Seafood Marinara, and Aglio Olio to name a few. From how chewy the pasta is, to the thickness of the sauce, the crisp of the sides of the garlic bread, and the delicateness of putting that useless parsley. I fell more deeply in love to the different pastas.

Since then, rating a restaurant depended on two important variables: how my choice of pasta tastes and its price tag.

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Love ko din pinakbet, basta di overcooked yung kalabasa.

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by: Michelle Marasigan

Food has been a huge chunk of my daily happiness. In fact, my favorite times of the day are breakfast, lunch, and dinner. But the best part of a meal I would like to say is dessert.

If I could associate myself with any type of food, that would be chocolate in all its glorious forms. Personally, I think it is one of the most brilliant inventions of humankind. Chocolate Shake, Brownies, Chocolate fondue, chocolate chip cookies, chocolate ice cream, or chocolate bar. What’s not to like? As a person with a sweet tooth, the words “too sweet” just don’t exist in my vocabulary.  I have been a chocolate enthusiast for as long as I can remember that it took me a lot of will power to take it in moderation.

I fell in love with it since I was a little child. Whenever my father would come home from all his travels, he would always give it to me as a pasalubong because he knew how much I love them. I would always get excited whenever I learn about the exact date to which he will head home because I already know what I am going to get. My closest friends know how much I love chocolate as well. I remember that when I was in high school most of my friends know that a small jar of Nutella as a gift would already make me feel happy that whenever my friends feel the need to be extra sweet to me they know exactly what to do.

Hardest point in my chocolate obsessed life was when I got allergies, and one of the food I had to avoid was chocolate.  It was so hard that instead of a year, I only came clean for six months. But can you blame me? The sweet tooth needs her chocolate.

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You had me craving for matcha :(

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Hannah Cabardo

I have always loved soups, the way they heat your body during the cold days and how they complement rice as they facilitate the easiness to digest. As much as I love all the conceivable soups that one can name, only one takes the reign-sinigang.

This Filipino-style soup, have capture my heart. I would always fell to its familiar sour aroma, caressing my nose. The mix of its sourness and chili is like kicking and hugging your tongue all together. Even more, I love how the gabi melts in my mouth when it is simmered enough. It is just so tasty that writing about it makes me crave for more.

My love for it is apparent to the point that whenever there’s a sinigang served in the house, the first one they would call is me. Even my unreliableness when it comes to having a trip to the market could be cured with just a mere promise that sinigang will be cooked. A shopping list is not even necessary for I have it memorized: 1radish, 1 string of kangkong, 3 tomatoes, 2 onions, 5 gabi, 1 sachet of knorr sinigang mix, 5 green chilies and a  kilo of pork.

When I came to the right age to be taught to cook, I made sure that sinigang would be my first dish. My first try was not that good, the broth was too much, it drowns the ingredients, the kangkong was even over cooked. However, that failure did not waver this soup-loving girl from cooking her favorite dish. I tried again and got it for the 3rd time. I was ecstatic about it since I receive heartfelt comments from my parents on how I did a good job, my sisters even said that it really taste good.

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by Dianne Grace Canilao

Being uncertain most of the time can be adventurous, thrilling, or maybe anxious. Like deciding on what my all-time favorite food is, although generally choosing a favorite is supposed to be easy and automatic, and everybody has that one favorite that they cannot say no to at any given time. As for my personal case, I didn’t have a certain favorite food most of my life that it had always been dynamic. There are these food choices that I like that come to mind but I was never sure which of those my absolute favorite is.  I really like pizza, but there are times that I don’t even want to get near a slice of it because I’m too caught up with anything cheesy. This small case of uncertainty makes me feel like I do not have a particular personality or identity since some would say that what you eat reflects on what you are as a person.

This particular beverage makes me feel very certain about myself is green tea. I can never go wrong with green tea. At any particular season, I can drink a cup of it, whether iced or hot. When I’m in a mood for something sweet and creamy, I’d go for a matcha frappuccino. But if a frappuccino is too much for me, then I’d go for a non-fat green tea latte, maybe with a hint of vanilla. When I’m feeling a little under the weather and in a mood for something fruity and a bit sour, I’d go for a citrus green tea.  Whatever flavor I’d add to a cup of green tea, it will surely be phenomenal. And most importantly, green tea is never bad for one’s health.

Green tea is one of the things that I’m certain of, and that is why I choose it as my favorite beverage. Green tea is what makes me calm and certain about everything I do for the day, and can never say no to green tea at any given time. Aside from being my favorite, I think I can associate my own personality with green tea since whatever flavor life gives me every day, I would overcome it and still be collected and positive.

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Luisse Gabrielle R. Rutao

When we talk about food, there are varieties to choose from. Starting our menu from the appetizers up to the main dish and dessert, we also have snacks, pastries and sweets to add flavor to our list. These foods play significant roles in our lives, they give comfort and headache at the same time. They give comfort because every time we have a taste of it, it loosens our stress and even makes us forget about our problem at the same time. Food also gives us headaches at times because of the amount of money we need to have and spend in order to purchase one.

Above all I chose siomai as my favorite one. I can actually eat a bunch of siomai in my entire life.  I love everything about siomai may it be in the form of a dumpling, sharksfin, Japanese or even Chinese. I also love the favors, may it be pork, beef, chicken, mushroom, shrimp, or even crab. And most of all I love it when you dip and add the siomai in a smoking hot chili paste and soy sauce. Isn’t yummy? Right?

My preference on what type of siomai I will eat depends on my mood, whether or not I will order a fried one or a steamed one. Sometimes I want to mix it with fried pasta sometimes I don’t like.

The hard thing of having a siomai fever is the selection of restaurant, food chain or stall you will buy it from. This is really a hard thing to do because there are varieties to choose from.  To name a few, there is  Dimsung Treats, Angkong, Nataniel’s, Razon’s, Master shomai, Hen Lin, Shomai house, Chowking, Shomai king, or even street vendors siomai and etc.

So having this, I’ve never regretted loving siomai. It’s easy to buy and eat! It’s everywhere! Hassle-free! Be one and join the club! Love siomai! Surely you won’t regret it!

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I love twix, I really do. Even though there are tons of sweets that are better than this, I would still choose this chocolate.

It’s simple, I know, but it gives me comfort – not because it is my favorite when it comes to chocolates, but because of the memories I had with it. One of the holidays that I truly enjoyed when I was a kid was Halloween – we go to different places (whether it’s a home or not) knock on doors, and see if we get a trick or treat from the people we intentionally bothered. I remember when me, and my sister used to do this every year, and sometimes, we would go back to the same houses – of course, families began to notice our actions and told us that we’ve already been to their house, but they still keep on giving us chocolates. I will never forget the last house that we went to before we head home though… outside there was a big box looking like the ones in films where gold, jewelries, and diamonds are hidden, and we didn’t hesitate on getting tons of sweets – we knocked on the door and rang the doorbell for so many times, still no sign of human opening the door, and so we grabbed that chance to get as many as we can.

Putting all the chocolates on our bed is my favorite part, and I’m one of those kids that give the nasty ones to my relatives. In this kind of happenings is when I started noticing twix.

Every time I eat this chocolate, it takes me back to the good old days. This is also one of the things that alleviate my mind. Yes, it’s simple, it’s too sweet, it’s not loved by everyone, but it’s okay – it doesn’t always have to be extreme to be wanted. It’s also one of the things that make me appreciate the little things even more.

Jonalyn Sarmiento
3ELS2

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by Francis Olavidez

I was one of those children who were loyal to their milk. I put up zero resistance whenever my parents ask me to drink milk. As a matter of fact, I used to eat rice with milk as my meal and with that alone, I’m already more than satisfied. If I could only substitute milk for water, I gladly would and I’m not just talking about regular cow’s milk, I love all types! The only probable exception would be spoiled and spilled. Even if I’m the only one consuming, a 1L box of milk wouldn’t even last a day or two with me. I don’t reckon to have perfectly strong bones for having this much love for milk, but my passion for milk is as fiery as a wild forest fire on the loose.

Whenever I’m at home and not in my dorm, I always drink milk throughout the day. I don’t get to drink much though whenever I’m away from my home because I usually spend my money on some other things. This then causes a form of separation anxiety between me and milk. For that reason, my craving for it multiplies tenfold whenever I get the chance to go home and when my mom and I buy groceries. Cows, goats, soy, and other sources of milk are handcrafted gifts directly from God and I am more than grateful to partake in such divine blessing.

Not only is milk delicious but it is also very healthy. I don’t really need to emphasize on such common knowledge but for the purpose of exaggerating how much I love milk, I insist it is mentioned. Regardless if the milk is refreshingly ice cold or steamy warm, it fills up my heart equally and I can proudly say that it holds a very special and exclusive place in my heart. Milk brings me so much comfort on an extremely deep level and will continue to do so until the end of time.

I believe in the power of milk and the curative properties it has on me. The connection I have with milk is on a spiritual level and I believe it to be destiny. If I may borrow from Mayday Parade, I could probably live without milk, but without milk, I’d be miserable at best.

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By: Ruzel Raqueno

A coconut nut is a giant nut if you eat too much you’ll get very fat. My grandfather and grandmother used to sing me this song whenever I eat coconuts, which, by the way, was very frequent since we were surrounded by coconut palm trees in our province. It seems to be their explanation why I gained extra weight over the years. They told me that I grew large and round like a coconut because I ate a lot of it. I’m not even sure if it really was a nut but I didn’t really care as long as I get to eat it every now and then.  I remember when I was little, I ran outside of our house to watch a man climb up a palm tree using only his arms and legs. I was so amazed, but what made me even happier was the fruit he was trying so hard to get, that big, green, round fruit that contains this white firm coconut meat of absolute happiness. My fondness of coconut doesn’t stop there; I love almost everything that is edible about it the embryo of the coconut which my brother and I fight over to get, thepalmisthat is also called the heart of the coconut, and the coconut juice that is oh so sweet.

Whenever Christmas is near my grandmother would start making fruit salad with coconut as the main fruit. There were coconuts everywhere! I didn’t even mind helping my grandma scrape all of those coconut meats off of the coconut. Even my favorite flavor of ice drop is coconut. Aside from its delicious taste coconuts are also very useful and healthy. There was a time where my grandparents would extract oil from it and use it as our cooking oil, rubbing oil and even made us drink this oil before eating because it was healthy. But unlike its juice I hated the oil because it tasted like, well, oil.

If I were asked what food I would associate myself my answer would obviously be a coconut because aside from being round like it I also consider myself diverse and useful like the coconut. The coconut also connects me to my roots because the taste of coconuts reminds me of my grandparents, my province, and my home.

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As Filipinos, we like to conform to ideas regarding superstitious beliefs and myths about things. When my mother was pregnant, she would always crave and consume twin bananas, or two bananas that have been stuck together due to a genetic mishap. This is what led elders to believe could have been the cause of my mother's pregnancy with twins. Another belief that were associated with our birth is that we were born on a Friday the thirteenth. Which means that we can be associated with being unlucky -- but there is also an ancient belief about being lucky when you were born with twins. So I guess those beliefs cancel out each other. I can say that there is an ironic connotation that can be associated with our birth.

This beliefs about twin bananas are of course, just myths. Nonetheless, it would be a strange coincidence since there had not been any twins that were born in our family for generations. Aside from the fact that it was strange enough to have been born as an identical offspring, we are also the only ones born with slanted eyes. Growing up, we were always mistaken as Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Taiwanese, or any "-nese" for that matter.

Going back to bananas and its association with myself; because of the tryptophan that is contained within this fruit, eating it can cheer you up. In my opinion, it is the same as the sheer happiness that a stranger feels whenever they notice the similarities that are evident in the face of mine and my sister's.

Every people possess this inquisitive nature and thirst for knowledge, I have observed. For instance, they like to ask silly questions like "Do you feel pain whenever she gets hurt?", or "Are you telepathic?". There is an energy that suddenly surges through these people and they become creative about their inquiries about the identical offspring. Kind of like the surge of energy that one can feel after eating a banana.

Even though I associate this fruit with myself, I am not a fan of eating one. Whenever I eat bananas, there is this distaste that flows through my tongue, trying to reject the flavor of this energy-providing fruit. I have never liked the taste of bananas, and I apologize for those who are offended by my subjective dislike.

It is ironic, I guess, to associate yourself with something you detest. I could have associated myself with food that I favor like sinigang, chicken adobo, avocado shake, bacon, et cetera; but whenever I think about food and its association with my own being, I always find myself thinking about bananas. Not because I think of myself as a monkey (and I hope others don't see me in that way as well), but because monkeys love bananas and I don't. Sometimes, the things that you dislike can say a lot about how you perceive yourself, or how others may perceive you. It's not just bananas that I do not like; I am not a fan of yellow fruits in general. If you ask why, it's because I just don't like the color yellow.

-Kamille Salazar:

A person who abhors the color yellow.

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Krishnan, Glenn Aeela A.
3ELS2
The food that I would associate with myself is pizza. My favorite food since I was a child is pizza. I often ask my parents to buy me one because it’s very delicious. My dad always calls me and when it’s time to hang up the phone, I would always ask him if I could buy a pizza and he would just laugh because I always ask him the same question even if I already had one recently. I remember my dad would tell me that his dream is to bake the largest pizza in the world because I’m always asking him to buy me one and because it makes me happy.
I love pizza because of its different flavors, crunchiness on the outside and how soft it is in the inside. I love how the tomato sauce accentuates the pizza or the crust and I love how the cheese melts while I am getting my slice of pizza. I’m like a pizza, I have different flavors too, and by flavors, I mean different personalities that I show to my friends, family, and to strangers.

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By: Alyssa Joy L. Ibarra

What food do you associate yourself with?

Obviously, I am despised by human beings.

Kept inside the fridge as much as possible or

Removed completely just because people can’t stand me.

Although I get the least attention from the veggie family, I am an incredibly rich source of health benefiting compounds such as pyridoxine, vitamin-K, minerals and antioxidants.

Can you guess what kind of food am I?

You guessed right, I am an Okra. It’s true; people hate the sight of Okras. Not only does it look like a praying mantis for its shape and color, the internal structure of the vegetable features small, round, mucilaginous white colored seeds. A lot of individuals, may it be children, teens, or adults, complain about my gooey complexion and slimy juice. I associate myself to this resented creation not because people hate me (I don’t know, I wish people didn’t hate me though hehe), but because I believe that despite my bad or disgusting qualities there is someone out there who would love me for me. Just as how I learned to love the said vegetable.

To be honest, as a child, I hated the vegetable. It was my father who ‘forced’ me to like it. It was a struggle for me, obviously, because of its creamy on-the-inside quality but eventually, believe it or not, I have learned to like it, love it rather. My dad worked in Manila when I was a child. Every time he comes home during the weekend, he cooks steamed okra for me and my brother. He wanted us to grow up healthily so he did what he had to do. It was a bonding experience for us because I can remember that when the dish was served the three of us would have a devouring competition. Oh and it was only the three of us because my mom does not like okra. Anyway, my dad would certainly win because he’s a dad and I would come in second while my brother would give up eating the last piece just because he was experiencing distaste or ‘suya’ in Tagalog. The process we had to go through was like attending a military school. My sibling and I were not allowed to leave the dining area if we did not finish the food served on our plates. Some may find it tragic but I enjoyed every minute of it. Today, I am not forced to eat the vegetable anymore. I am the one who craves for it.

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10 years ago, this would be me: 'vegetables? Na uh.'

No kid wants vegetables. Like no one. At all. Unless you're a vegetarian, of course.

Pinakbet is a combination of eggplant, okra, bitter melon, tomatoes, onions and slices of pork. These are the vegetables that are hard to eat when cooked individually but together, they're heavenly. I don't know why I suddenly loved eating this Filipino dish but I am always craving for it. Pinakbet is usually eaten for lunch or maybe dinner but if you serve it for breakfast, I will not mind. In fact, I can have it all day and not get tired of it.

I love pinakbet with lots of eggplants, tomatoes, and onions in it. However, the one that I love to eat the most is with my mom's special ingredients, the sweet potatoes, and chicharon. Whenever I go home from the crazy city that is Manila, my mom would always try to prepare pinakbet as our dinner. The smell of bagoong, when the pinakbet would come to boil, is so pleasing that my stomach would immediately start to grumble. Because of this, pinakbet has become my 'home' dish. Whenever I eat pinakbet, it's like I am home again even though I am far from being home.

I can't believe how I learned to love vegetables but I think it's all for the love of pinakbet. At present, this is me: 'Vegetables? Ya uh.'

-Jesselle Pampo
3 ELS2

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Castro, Czarina Ann M.
3 ELS2

The food that I would associate with myself are beans. I chose beans not because I have anything in common with it but because of the moments I associated with it. When I was a kid, I was a very picky eater and I would only eat one kind of meal for as long as I want it until I get tired of it. I was a picky eater in that sense but not in a sense that I wouldn’t try anything else. Growing up, my parents would always let us try different cuisines which are, of course, unknown to me and my sister.  When I was about 5 or 6 years old, my mom introduced me to Baguio beans. She used to stir-fry it with chicken strips and instantly, it became my favorite food. I was in 1st grade back then and every time I come home from school, I would always have a plate full of it. I had beans every day for I don’t know how long – I think that lasted for over a year. I would always be so excited to go home and eat beans. My parents would always try to convince me to eat something else but I would refuse. I loved it so much – and I still do.

I associate this with myself because up until now, eating beans makes me contemplate on my childhood. It reminds me of the time when the only thing I worry about was if my mom had already cooked it by the time I get home. It reminds of me of the fond memories I had as a kid. If I could go back in time to relive a moment of my life, I’d definitely choose living through my childhood again. I had everything I needed and wanted in life, my family and my childhood friends. At this point in time, I may not have beans every day as much as I did before, but it still has a place in my heart. Time has passed and my life may not be as worry-free as it was back then but every time I get to eat beans, all of my worries fade and I would just be reminded of my happy moments as a child.

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By: Cortes, Bianca Isabel T.

I am a fan of anything Korean, be it their music, dramas or just their culture. Nowadays, I am most keen on their food― Samgyeopsal, in particular, which is a very popular Korean dish.

Forget everything you thought you knew about barbecue. Once you try thin slices of sizzling pork belly cooked right before your eyes, you'll never look at Western-style thick hunks of meat the same way. Additionally, the idea of wrapping food with leaves appeals to me as it is a novelty for us Filipinos.

It goes without saying that Koreans love Korean pork belly BBQ. We or should I say "I" have to eat it on a regular basis, otherwise, I'd go crazy.

My favorite complements for samgyeopsal are fresh lettuce and sliced raw garlic, but very often the meat is served with other accompaniments such as green onions and kimchi. Garlic, onions, and kimchi can be either grilled together or consumed raw with the cooked meat.

Samgyeopsal consists of thick, fatty slices of pork belly meat. The meat, usually neither marinated nor seasoned, is cooked on a grill at the diners' table. Usually, we grill the meat ourselves and eat directly from a grill.

I often eat it with my family or high school friends because Korean restaurants are everywhere in Pampanga. I love it so much to the extent that I asked my parents to buy a griller of our own.

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I am that someone who is so fascinated by the thought of food.

Food is my big cheese, my bread and butter, and the apple of my eye.

It is something that I can’t resist, something that can’t go on with,

It makes me fat but who cares? I love food more than anyone else can ideate.

If I would relate myself to one, it’ll be sinigang. It is not that I am crazy about it, it’s just that most of the people that I cherish the most love/likes sinigang.

I think I am the kind of person who is defined by the things that I love, and all the people that I love has a big part in my life. (You who loves sinigang, you’re one of them)

Also, If you would examine the ingredients of sinigang, There is nothing really exceptional about it, and i think that is the charm of sinigang, simple but delightful, delicious on its own ways.

With that I can say that I am closely relate to it, (As much I as hate giving compliment/s to myself) I assume that I am pretty simple and somehow delightful in my own dumb ways.

If you disagree, let's have sinigang together and you'll see.

-Noreen
3ELS2

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Lone Monkey in the Kingdom ||  Salazar, Kasandra C.

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Lone Monkey in the Kingdom ||  Salazar, Kasandra C.

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Growing up in the province helped me develop a skill I could not really practice in the city; tree-climbing. As a child, I would climb fruit trees like the siniguelas, aratiles, and guava to pick their ripe fruits as snacks. I would often climb with my twin or with some friends and we would share the bounty after, just sit and eat while we converse. But the food I would mostly associate with myself, or rather, my childhood, is the guava fruit. This has to do with my affinity in climbing the guava tree at the backyard of our ancestral house in Isabela. I would mostly climb it alone and because the tree stood beside the shed that was separate from the main house, the tree’s branches reached above the shed and I would sit on its roof in solace and just reach out to some ripe guavas and eat idly. It became my favorite spot and sort of a hiding place because the people in the house would often look for me for hours only to find me at the roof of the shed eating guavas. To me, it seemed like I was visiting a kingdom because guavas have these tiny crowns on their fruit. I was six or seven years old then but for some unknown reason, they cut the tree down when I was eight or nine. That left me with a feeling of melancholia for I was quite attached to that tree. Now and then whenever I see guava fruits, a wave of nostalgia hits me and takes me back to those carefree days, to the place I can call my hideout.

Guavas have these tiny crowns on them that make me think that if people were guavas, we’d all equally be royalties. Everyone would be equal. Though you wouldn’t consider a guava special because it has a crown, all guavas have crowns. Much like how I view people, everyone is entitled to think of themselves as special but they have to remember that every other person also is uniquely special in their own ways, too.

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by Dancelle Medina

When my mother had me in her womb, my older brother and sister were already three and two years old respectively. My siblings were in the state at that time when they were very active and restless, so our mother really had a hard time taking care of herself for me to be able be born healthy. When I asked my parents to describe the day I was born, they said that they were afraid at that time and felt really bad. They told me that I was born underweight. Thus, I do not know if it is in exaggeration, but they would always say that my size is similar to the size of a 1.5 liter bottle of Coca-Cola which I do not really believe because when I look at myself now, it seems unbelievable that I would grow up to be like this.

So, in line with that story, my parents decided to let my grandmother (residing in San Juan, Batangas) take care of me until when I reached the age when I was supposed to attend school already, since my parents were really struggling to juggle their work and attend to the needs of their three children at that time. This is when I was introduced with the food of the province which is usually vegetables and fish. But, the one food or meal that really got a pull of my heart strings is what Batangas people call sinaing na tulingan which my grandmother would always pair with sunny-side up egg and rice poured with a cup of coffee. I know it seems odd, but for me it tastes really delicious. It was also part of my childhood which is also the reason why when I have the chance to go home in Batangas during school break, I get the feeling of nostalgia whenever I eat this favourite meal of mine. Although, at times, here in Manila, my mother would try to cook this using another kind of fish, with the same procedure and I get nostalgic as well, but with an addition of feeling longing to go home in San Juan, Batangas.

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By: Hana Ganzon

Anong sabi ng jeep? DOOBI DOOBI DAP DAP!! My jokes are corny, aren’t they? I blame my corny-ness to my fondness with the food corn. It has been a staple food during my childhood years. Whenever our family got a chance to go out of town, we do. My father, who is born and raised in the province of Quezon, always brought us to his hometown at least twice a year. We always went there to visit our grandparents during Lenten season and all soul’s day. Travelling to the province usually takes us 6 hours, so whenever we got hungry while we’re on the road; my dad stops to the curb and buys us a pack of cooked, steaming hot Japanese sweet corn. Its sweetness always makes a hungry kid like me beam a smile. Even when we go on a road trip going to Laguna so we can escape the summer heat. Sure, there might be some fast food chains we stop by to eat our meals but I don’t know why I preferred a corn on the cob rather than a set meal of burger and fries. Nowadays, we don’t get to travel to our province that much anymore. The pending school works pressed to us students during our vacations aren’t enough for us to finish it within the given time. Luckily, I still get to eat corn in the streets of Dapitan. Yay for me. I really just wish I could still spend some time with my whole family without anything to worry about, and eat some corn!

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Song from the Album Cutter Pillow by the Eraserheads #6 on the Track...

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Nothing Overly Complicated or Overly Special

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Nothing Overly Complicated or Overly Special

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Three cans of tropical fruit mix, one can of condensed milk, two boxes of all-purpose cream, and three cups of shredded coconut meat. Drain the juice from the tropical fruit mix, and then set it aside in the fridge. Add the condensed milk and the cream to the fruit and mix it well, then add the coconut. Mix. Keep it in the fridge for a while, because it’s best enjoyed cold. Offer the juice from the tropical mix to the eldest daughter, because she loves it even though she knows it’s unhealthy and made mostly of sugar. Her sisters will try to take some, but just for this she’ll be a little selfish.

This is how my family prepares one of the desserts we enjoy the most, a fruit salad. It’s just like any other fruit salad, and it’s probably not even as good as other fruit salads, but I will always consider it the best.

I remember helping my grandmother make this when I was a child; she liked the coconut meat a little smaller, so I used to help her cut it up into pieces before adding it to the mix. My father liked the coconut the way it was, so when he would make it I would just stand back and patiently wait for him to finish, so I could drink the juice. I remember my sisters always fighting over the last serving, while my mother patiently tells them to simply share or wait, because it’s not like it would be the last time we would have it.

I will always connect this food to my family and to me, and to the happy moments we spend making it. It’s not anything overly complicated or overly special, but we’re not overly complicated or overly special people.

-          Rhafaela Bacal

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Breakfast has always been my thing;   it is what sets my mood for the whole day. I think there is just something about this meal that I always look forward to every morning. I mean, who wouldn’t be excited to get up from bed knowing that there’s something prepared for you to full your craving stomach?

Breakfast has always been my thing. A flat, thin, and round product form a starch-based batter that contains eggs, flour, and butter, cooked in a griddle pan, and a batter  made from flour, brown sugar, yeast , and milk, cooked in a waffle pan.  Pancake and waffles are two of the breakfast meals that I live up to.  I love both, I am destined for both. I can’t choose. I love my pancakes with bacon and eggs with it, and I love my waffles topped with strawberries and whipped cream. Although my mother always reminds me to stop eating these “unhealthy and too sweet” breakfast, I don’t want to. Maybe she just can’t remember, but she introduced these breakfast-s to me.  I love how the fluffy pancakes and the crisp waffles satisfy my mornings all the time.

If I am going to relate myself to these two, I think it is the softness of its texture, and my soft characteristic as a person. Pancle or waffcake, these two are the food that I associate myself with.

- Marie Carmella DR. Ingalla

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By: Rianika Soria

Every time I was being asked what is my favorite food, I have lots in mind that I can’t even figure out what food is really my favorite, so what more with associating myself to it? But, let me associate myself with the food that I must say, everyone loves, which are desserts. I have never met anyone from any part of the world that resists desserts. Cakes, Ice creams, Doughnuts, mallows and the like never fail to give me comfort when things are stressing me out. Desserts are always present when you visit a buffet for a fact that people look for it right after their main course. In my case, it is the most exciting part of a meal and I can affiliate that it links us all back to our happy childhood memories. Just like desserts, I exude charm and happiness wherever I go, never forgetting to be that one interesting person who spreads laughter and high energy within my family and friends. And I think that’s one of the best things in living your life in a best way that you can do.

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Venice Bautista

Food is enjoyable for most people. I know a lot of people who love to eat because food is the equivalent of happiness for them. But for me, eating is something needed to be done in order to stay alive and healthy. That’s why people get surprised when I tell them I only eat two meals a day: brunch and dinner. Yes, I don’t usually eat merienda and that shocks my fellow Filipinos – especially my Lola – every single time. However, that doesn’t mean I’ll eat whatever is available just to satisfy my hunger. I still value the taste and quality of the food I eat. Also, as any other human does, I also have a list of food, delicacies, and desserts that I enjoy (although, there really isn’t much). One of them is ube.

I love ube not only for its heavenly taste but also because of the memory that comes with it. I grew up in a huge family from my dad side and every holiday season, we all spend the weeks of Christmas and New Year together. It has been a tradition to have my grandfather’s ube on the table during the eves of Christmas and New Year. To be specific, I’m only in love with one kind of ube: the one that my grandfather used to make. I don’t recall the ingredients anymore but I do remember and will never forget how the ube chunks and the butter make the whole thing so divine. I used to help my grandfather make them, or at least help him by handing him the ingredients and tools. And because it was always during the holiday seasons, my spirit is always at a sky-high. So when my grandfather passed, the holiday tradition came with him for no one can ever make ube the way he does. The famous cooks in our family tried but it just wasn’t the same anymore. That’s why now I’m on a journey to find the best ube next to my grandfather’s because it truly makes me happy. There have been many great ube I’ve tasted but nothing has yet to come close to my grandfather’s famous dessert, and that’s okay.

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Lance Mia

I could associate myself with sushi. It is stated that I have a refined character. I am friendly to everyone and it helps me with the balance of harmony and self-preservation. I am versatile as well as usually switch up my physical appearance to match your daily mood while aiming to please in the process.

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by: Krizia Reyes

Sachet of tamarind mix, Two pieces of onions, 4 chili peppers, three pieces of tomatoes, 1kilogram pork (or shrimp), fish sauce to taste, and about 5 bundles of water spinach. Got any clue yet?

If you’re thinking of that sour taste soup with a little bit of spice with its letter the start of this essay, you’re correct! It is the Filipino dish Sinigang.

Sinigang is the favorite dish of our family, it’s best when you got home late hoping for relaxation, its best when your happy and you want to celebrate with you family, its best when you’re feeling down and wishing that the hotness to this soup will eliminate the toxics of life. It was my comfort food; the one I love even if it’s one May afternoon under the blazing heat of the sun, I’ll love it nonetheless.

It is also the first dish I tried to cook, I know how to fry and make pancakes but a food with water on it where the order of ingredients matter it’s a completely different take for me. Contrary to what I expected, my first try was not disastrous although the meat was not that cooked yet and it had a wee bit of fish sauce than I imagined. My next try was when my mom was coming home from a business trip and boy did I do well. I got the sourness, the crunchiness of the water spinach, the meat was cooked perfectly and thank God I managed to calculate the fish sauce this time. Everyone was very happy for me and since then, I have tried making my masterpieces.

I’m far from being a master chef but I’m getting there; soon I’ll be able to make gourmet meals that even Gordon Ramsey would approve.

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Pamela Recio

“I scream for ice cream” was my Twitter bio exactly five years ago. I cannot remember when or where I got such quote because back then, I was not aware that ‘copying and pasting’ bios was a form of plagiarism. The only thing I know is that, it is my love for ice cream that caused me to place such words. Just recently, when the world made the Japanese matcha famous, I found myself falling in love with the matcha-flavored ice cream flavor. It came to a point that I stopped ordering other ice cream flavors which is why when I found out that McDonald’s decided to stop selling their Matcha mcFlurry, I left the counter with a direful look on my face, wishing at the back of my mind for it to appear once again on the McDonald’s meal.

I bet you are currently wondering why matcha has a soft spot in my heart. Well, it is probably because it was my mother who introduced it to me first. Frankly speaking, she despised the matcha flavor, and when she happened to order one, she regretted it and gave the ice cream to me.  As someone who never said ‘no’ to food, I immediately took a spoon, and on my first taste of the matcha-flavored ice cream, I knew, from then on, I was in love. It was definitely a dessert worth having every single day (just kidding, you might end up having diabetes).

Since I was already having a fetish for matcha, it came to a point that when my family and I were having a bento meal at a Japanese restaurant, I noticed a thick green sauce which I immediately assumed to be matcha, and placed a spoonful on my mouth. Unfortunately, when I was conscious enough of the taste, it was neither matcha nor did it taste near one. It was sadly, a wasabi, which made it to the list of the food I would never eat again even if it’s the last food on earth.

A part of me would like to believe that one of the reasons why I still go for matcha, especially the matcha ice cream is that I can associate it with myself and my views in life. Green was my least favorite color, but for most people, the shade of green is what keeps the soul at peace. In my case, I’ve always felt like I am different from most people which is why I always try my best to fit in – to conform to the standards and to stick to the status quo. I hated being the least. I hated being the odd. However, as time passed by, I realized that that there is a downside in fitting in all the time. Your self becomes the self you create in accordance to the society, thus making “you” merely a replica of your own. You stopped becoming original.

To be honest, there were times when I feel like a matcha ice cream. A lot of people may know me, but it does not automatically mean that everyone likes me. Back then, I always make it a point to impress others to the point of changing myself and my own views for I have this fear of being judged. However, when I reached college and learned to love myself even more, I realized that life is never just about leaving a good impression. Life is also a matter of acceptance – in one way or another, someone will not like what you like, and if you are open-minded enough, you will one day understand that being diverse is not a bad thing at all. It just proves that despite being at one place, belonging to one race, you can still be the unique you. As a little piece of advice, don't be afraid to be a matcha ice cream in this world filled with various ice cream flavors.

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By Sonny Manansala
3ELS2

If there is a food I could associate myself with, it would be rice. Filipinos love rice. My friends love rice. I love rice. I eat rice for breakfast, lunch, merienda, dinner, and midnight snack. I also eat rice in cinemas. Rice makes people happy, and that’s what I want. I dream of having the ability to make everyone around me happy. I do not like them to gain weight and be fat, just to be happy. I want to be with the people I love whenever they are depressed, so I want to be with them while they are stress eating. I love motivating my loved ones to order more extra rice because I love them, and like I’ve said, I just want them to be happy. So if you’re my friend and you love me and I love you, go and eat rice. Just do it. There’s nothing wrong with it. Carbs is life. Don’t eat vegetables anymore. Forget about them. Just eat rice. Eat Cilantro rice, Basmati rice, Benihana Japanese fried rice, or Inside-out stuffed green bell pepper rice. Yeah, I googled those, but you get the idea. Eat rice. Plain rice and Sinangag, eat them both, and have Java rice as your dessert.

I also love my country so much. I love my nationality. I love being a Filipino, and rice is one thing that cannot be easily taken out of our plates. Rice has been with Filipinos for such a long time. It is what the Katipuneros ate when they fight the colonizers. We owe a lot to rice. So it is just rice for us to appreciate every grain of rice we get to eat.

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by: Kaira Sharina Camba

I love seafood! I have no particular reason why but its taste just fits me perfectly. I associate myself with seafood because I also associate myself with the place where seafood is found, the sea, just like me, dreamy and inflaming its own harmony. It is rhapsodic with every current, moving swiftly to the border. Living every wave of life with excitement and enthusiasm.  A place of fascination, vulnerability and riddle.

The sea is heartwarming and comforting. It reaches out to give amenity and relaxation, trying to extract all the stress life had brought.  Most of the time, it is calm and beautiful, but its waves can also be vigorous.  The sea is innocent but at the same time, its water is powerful, forceful enough to destroy and rival the land.

One can feel and see the surface of the sea clearly but a lot more secrecy is hidden on its depth.

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By: Luigi Tolentino

I think I would associate myself with Bicol Express because of how I love it so much. My mom knows that this is my favorite dish and when she calls me that lunch is ready and says that she cooked my favorite, I would always assume that it’s Bicol Express, and I’m always right.

I like the spice it has as to how I like the things in my life with spice, a kick, meaning that I like it when something has a unique, extraordinary, or interesting feature.

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by: Jhelo Mercado

Food – a four-letter word yet is essential in keeping our body healthy. If we think of food, our thoughts would be running mindlessly because of the different types of food that we want to eat. Being a food lover myself, I can’t seem to settle with thinking of one food only; it had to be many so that my taste bland would be teased. But if I were to be asked what food I want to be, I would choose to be a Sinigang; I am okay with any kind of Sinigang like Sinigang na Baboy, Sinigang na Baka, Sinigang na Hipon, or Sinigang na Bangus as long as it is Sinigang.

Ever since I was a kid, Sinigang was the viand that I would always request to be cooked. It was my favorite, and tasting Sinigang seemed like heaven for me. It gives me a sense of security and comfort, that I could never go wrong with Sinigang. I just love how Sinigang tastes so sour I can’t help to crunch up my face; but the sourness of Sinigang is what makes it delicious, appealing even, especially to people like me who like sour foods. I love the way Sinigang has a lot of vegetables in it, especially kangkong leaves, string beans or sitaw, tomatoes, and my favorite vegetable in Sinigang, radish. These vegetables, together with the meat or seafood in Sinigang, leave me breathless that I can’t help but always want for more.

I want to be a person that is like my favorite food Sinigang. I want to be a person that is wanted even if my attitude is what others don’t like. I want to be a person who, like Sinigang, can offer many things that are helpful to others, just like the vegetables in Sinigang that keeps a person healthy. I want to be the kind of person that will leave other people breathless, that when they get to know me they would always be curious about me and that my personality makes them wanting to get to know me more. I want to be a person who will become someone’s favorite, just like how Sinigang became my favorite. I want to be a person that can get along with others just how Sinigang can be served with any kind of meat or seafood. I want to be an all-around person, just like Sinigang who is an all-around food in the table of every family. I want to be a person who is always constant, who is always easy to get a hold of just like how easy it is to cook Sinigang and be served every meal. I want to be important to others just how Sinigang is important to me.

I want to be a Sinigang because it holds a space in my heart. Maybe it is funny that a food is something so trivial in someone’s life but for me, food is like a friend to ourselves whenever our real friends can’t comfort us in our problems. Maybe the idea of ‘comfort food’ came from there; that whatever our problem is, however big or small that is, when we eat our comfort food we can pretend even for a short time that nothing is wrong and that we can overcome that problem.

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I’ve always had an intense love affair with potatoes. Who doesn’t right? I think it’s the first kind of vegetable I ever ate that’s how far potatoes and I go back. Whatever form it comes in but I think my most favorite kind are ones sliced into long pieces, deep-fried in oil and lightly salted. Those savory little things you could eat with your fingers are always such a delight to eat.

I think if I could ever explain my entire life it would be through a dirt-filled, boring potato in the process of being turned into delicious and well-loved fries (haha). But in all seriousness, I think I associate myself with fries and potatoes in general is because they're very thin (like me) .It's also because of how much of a comfort it is by the end of a stressful day or even a small reward for doing something challenging to have some fries, I wish I could also provide a little comfort to my friends at the end of a long day. I also think that fries bring a sense of joy to people whoever have a taste of it what’s more is that whenever you eat it, it never fails to fill not only your stomach but also your heart (with carcinogens lol)

Carido, Hannah Lesly S.
3ELS2

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by: Chloe Elijah Malicdem

If I can compare myself to any food, I think I am an ice cream. Ice cream is a soft frozen food that is made up of different ingredients like milk, cream, and sugar. Different ingredients are also added to give flavor to the ice cream. It is most popular during summer time but is also a great dessert even during the cold season. I remember when my dad and I usually buy ice cream at a particular store and bring it home to my mom and other siblings. When we arrive home from buying the ice cream, the cups and spoons are already prepared and the ice cream is the only one missing in the picture. It was a time of bonding full of laughter and stories and sometimes a time when we watch movies together. It was ‘ice cream time’ for the Malicdem family and I get both happy and sad whenever I think about it especially that there is a possibility that it won’t happen ever again.

I think I am an ice cream because like its many flavors, I also have a lot of attributes. Ice cream can be chocolate-flavored, vanilla-flavored, strawberry-flavored and so much more. In the same way, I can be kind, caring and thoughtful. These flavors of ice cream are made from season to season and according to an article that I have read, there are over a thousand flavors of ice cream in existence as of today. There are even unconventional ones like crab, garlic and bacon! I can say that my attributes, too, change from season to season as I mature and delve into the adult world. There will be instances in which we might not like an ice cream because of its flavor and we tend to avoid purchasing it. In the same way, to be honest, I also have attributes that some may not like. I may not know it at times unless someone points it out to me. When this happens, I try my very best to change it and be better so that I could not be of trouble to anyone I might encounter.

Another attribute that I think I have the same with an ice cream is its characteristic of being cool. I am usually cool about a lot of things. Not the kind of cool that is being fashionably attractive but the kind of cool that is calm, composed and just chill. A good example would be in handling time pressured activities like for example in academic-related works. I don’t panic and get stressed over it that much. I just bide my time and try my best until I finish it.

But above all these, the most sought after characteristic of an ice cream is its sweetness. I think this is also one of my most apparent attribute most especially toward my family and friends. I care for them a lot and I always try to be there for them when they need me.

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By Paulyene Adrienne S. Cayco

I could still remember the time when our family had arranged a special reunion at Tagaytay Picnic Grove. It was when my relatives from Canada and New Jersey went home to spend some time with us who are living here in the Philippines, and of course to give their pasalubong to us.

We laid a picnic blanket on one of the spots at the grove. We set the food that we were about to eat on that day ranging from stews down to seafood. I guess that’s the day when my tummy was the happiest! Nevertheless, despite the bountiful foods made and brought by our relatives from Bicol and Pampanga, what really made my day was the very first time I have tasted a strawberry taho.

In this regard, I could associate myself with a strawberry taho. A strawberry taho is unique to my taste because it is different from the usual taho that I drink every morning in Manila. What makes the strawberry taho special is the fact that, instead of having the usual tofu, sago, and arnibal or the caramelized sugar, its color is pink due to the strawberry flavoring being added on it; thus, making it sweeter than the ordinary taho. How I wish strawberry taho is already available around Manila!

Aside from the strawberry taho being sweet, it is also unique. For this reason, I associate myself with strawberry taho because I am really a sweet person. I love hugging people, I love giving compliments and encouragements, and I am fond of saying ‘I love you’ to those people who have a soft spot in my heart. Moreover, I believe that I am a unique daughter of God because of the talents and skills He bestowed on me.

Although there are similar ingredients between the ordinary and strawberry taho, still they have their own unique feature. It can be seen in the same way wherein I may share similar characteristics with other people; still I have this uniqueness which made me stand out among the rest. If what makes the strawberry taho stand out is its strawberry flavor, then what makes me stand out among the rest is my gift of listening in which I think is an essential gift in the world where everyone wants to speak.