Learning Something New

When I was a little girl, my Lola (grandmother) sewed wonderful things for us.  I have fond memories of coming home from kindergarten and she would have a new pair of pajamas or a dress that she threw together in an hour or so.  Then, there were the times that she would knit something for us like scarves or hats.  Truly a remarkable thing since she had arthritis but even more remarkable that she would be able to clean a house, cook lunch for my Lolo (grandfather) and dinner for a family of 7, AND have time to sew a complete outfit or knit a scarf.

I can do none of these things.  Okay, so I can knit a scarf.  But, I can't sew and my cooking skills leave a lot to be desired.  Since the boys have come along, I've realized that there are things that I wish I knew how to do - like cook Filipino food (anyone know where I can take a class in the Chicagoland area) and sew.  The cooking part is mostly due to the fact that I want my boys to be Filipino.  When I say this I mean that I want them to know that even though they live in the United States and are American, that they are 50% Flip.

When I tell people that I was born in the Philippines and came here as a child, they tell me that I'm not really Filipino.  I tell them that they're wrong because our household held the same values that my parent's homes did when they were children.  We were NEVER allowed to talk back to our parents; we wore slippers around the house; you never patted anyone on the top of the head (it's disrespectful); you MUST go to college; you were not allowed to go out on Good Friday and you didn't leave the house; and for Gods Sake - I ate with a spoon and fork (I still do).

But the cooking thing is something that eludes me.  Yes, I can make simple things like egg rolls, beef steak, and adobo.  But I cannot make nilaga or pancit or other dishes I love.  The cooking thing will have to wait because today I'm off to a sewing class - which has nothing to do about being Filipino (as usual, I digress).  Mama Eye and one of my other friends mentioned sewing classes at The Needle Shop so I decided to sign up for a class.  And guess what?  It's in my old neighborhood.  I swear I am in the city more now that we live in the 'burbs than I was when I actually lived there.

Comments

[Asianmommy]

Yes, I would love to be able to cook Asian food, as well. My mom never taught me--she wanted me to study, instead of learning how to cook. All of her recipes are in her head, and I can't get anything more from her than "Just add a pinch of this and a little of that, and cook it until it's done!"

[mamazilla]

i 've always wanted to take the japanese and filipino cooking lessons at hiromi's on lawrence. at least i still think they have lessons. and sometimes the chopping block has filipino cooking lessons too.

i LOVE the needle shop! whenever i'm in the neighborhood, i buy all the remnant fabric that i can! :)