Out of season cleaning

26 July 2004
I have been doing an out-of-season spring cleaning over the weekend in preparation for my friend’s visit this week.
My colleague (and good friend) Jane tells me that I have a spotless house but I am always amazed and horrified at the dirt and dust two people and a dog could accumulate. I washed down the windows and roof of the conservatory on Saturday. I have a telescopic sponge and squeegee that I use for this purpose. Imagine me on a ladder trying to get bird droppings off the glass roof! Then there’s the gardening! I do wish I had more time just to potter around the garden but the house chores need doing and I reluctantly go back indoors.
It took me ages to really clean the main bathroom. I wanted the toilet to sparkle, even in places where one does not have to see. I wiped the skirting boards, doors, picture frames etc, etc. I admit I am obsessive that way but I couldn’t help myself. I need to be in a very clean environment. My office is the cleanest and tidiest place in this building! In fact I ordered special box files for my bookcase so they all have the same colour and size. I also designed “official” labels—no handwritten labels for me! Even if we have a cleaner, I have a mini duster in my office and I dust around me. I just want everything clean, neat and very tidy. And no, I am not seeing a psychiatrist! I get stressed out with mess.
My other consuming passion aside from gardening is food. I do like my food. I miss Filipino food a lot. I think it is one of the best in the world but then again I am biased. I rate it up there with Japanese, Thai, Italian, Chinese and French.
I was watching UK Food in SkyTV yesterday when I came across this SEasian woman cooking what looked like paella. I knew instantly she was from the Philippines. True enough, the presenter (a UKTV Chef) was in the Philippines as part of her Far Eastern cuisine programme. In spite of my misgivings, I decided to torture myself and watch the show. There was adobo, puto, pancit, lumpiang ubod, etc,etc. It was a good job I was already cooking chicken curry when I saw the programme or else I would have suffered more! They filmed the segment in Negros and she ended up in Hidden Valley. So there I was alone in the house feeling hungry and very homesick.
I keep on kicking myself how I took pinoy food for granted all the time I lived there. I should have eaten all the lumpiang ubod, pancit malabon/molo/luglug, kare-kare to last me a lifetime!
My idea of pure pleasure is a large table full of the best pinoy food and all I have to do is to eat all day, preferably lounging in the beach with family and good friends. That, for me, would be heavenly bliss!