Garando's Errand Challenge #1

Garandee: "Garando..."

Garando: "Yes?"

Garandee: "I ran out of sanitary napkins..."

Garando: "I see."

Garandee: "Can you please buy me some?"

Garando: " ... "

Garandee: "Can you?"

Garando: "uhhhh... well...."

Garandee: "Don't worry, people won't think you're the one who will use it!"

Garando: "Hmmmmm... but...."

Garandee: "Just be MACHO! Talk to the cashier in a very deep and low voice. Drop the napkin in front of her and say, IT'S FOR MY FEMALE WIFE! You know, like Yakuza style!"

Garando: "Yeah, but still..."

Garandee: "I remember you bought me some before we got married."

Garando: "I did?"

Garandee: "HAI! And now we're married you don't want to buy me napkins anymore. HMPH!"

Garando: "...I did?"


Later that evening...

Garando: "Tadaima!" (I'm home)

Garandee: "Okaeri!" (Welcome home)

Garando: "Here you go."

Garandee: "WOW!!! You bought the napkins!"

Garando: "I guess it's better than asking me to buy a pair of ladies' underwear."

Garandee: "WOW! SWEET NAMAN!!" (how sweet!)


Garando mode:
Happy Easter!! Read More......

Meme: "I Love Your Blog" Award & 10 Birthday Wishes

I Love Your Blog Award

Thank you Alice, for recognizing me with the "I Love Your Blog" award! Alice's blog is also one that I frequent because of her lovely photos, food diaries and great book reviews.

Now I give this award to some blogs that I recently discovered.

1) KonnichiwaPug - I totally love this cute blog! Dahlia and Daisy are absolutely adorable and I always look forward to more of their photos and funny antics!
2) Dong Ho's Eskapo - In my opinion, this blog set the standards for adventure blogging!
3) Lantaw - One of the best outdoor photography of the Philippines, 'nuff said.
4) Travelog - A simple, beautiful and honest photoblog about Japan.
5) Alice Teh - I award this back to Alice, of course! :)


Ten Birthday Wishes

I owe Witsandnuts this tag for the longest time. Sorry, Wits!

I was asked to share 10 birthday wishes. To be honest, I stopped asking for anything on my birthday when I was 7 years old. That was when realized that I didn't have to wait for my birthday to ask for stuff! Here goes...

1) I want a toilet with a robotic 5-speed bidet and an automated tissue dispenser. I love the way how bums get pampered in Japan!

2) I want Mike Enriquez to talk like a normal person. Garandee gets freaked out everytime she hears him anchoring the news and I just can't imagine how he talks to his kids.

3) I want a bitterless ampalaya (bitter melon) so Garandee can finally add it in her pinakbet.

4) I want Philippine Jeepneys to have electric taser devices installed on their driver seats. Each time they go over 60kph or violate any traffic rules the device will send a non-lethal electric shock to their anus.

5) I want Philippine Bus drivers to have a similar device on their driver seats. Except that it's conveniently attached to their scrotum since they prove to be much worse than jeepney drivers.

6) I want 7 shirts with a muscular naked torso with six-pack abs printed on it. If I wear this everyday maybe Garandee will stop complaining about my all-natural hubby belly.

7) I want three day weekends: Saturday, Sunday and Slumberday.

8) I want a king-sized bed with Garandee-sized pouches mounted on both sides. No special reason, she just rolls all over the place when asleep.

9) I want each government office to have an unconventional complaints/suggestions box at the entrance. Instead of the traditional box with a slot, there will be a roster of employeees, and each name will have an "EJECT" button next to it.

10) I want natto to taste like a juicy steak fillet and smell like pot roast. Then maybe I can start having it for breakfast too!


Garando mode:
Getting excited for the long holiday! Read More......

April Fail!

I didn't sound all convincing in my previous post, did I?

I think the posting date on top of my "Sayonara...Friends" totally blew it. Either that or I'm a completely hopeless prankster and I should just go back to doing the things I'm better at: posting about a lot of Garando & Garandee nonsense.


I was even planning to use a title like "GOTCHA!!" for this post, but after seeing all the comments you left, it became "April Fail". LOL.

Sigh... and to think I even had to stop myself from posting anything in the past few days to fabricate just the right "atmosphere" for the drama! So much for any aspirations of an acting career...

I'll have to admit though, I was quite touched by your comments. Thank you very much!


Garando mode:
"April Fail Day"... Get it? Ho ho ho

Garandee mode:
Please no more jokes! Your pathetic drama was worse enough. Hajukashii.... Read More......

Sayonara... Friends

Some of you may have noticed that I haven't posted anything in quite a while. I've come to a sudden realization that I'm lacking the inspiration to continue my blog. Can't really say in public what has caused it, but I just wanted to to be open about the struggles I've been going through the past few days.

Maybe I will get over this soon and start posting again... or maybe not. I guess time will tell...


Thank you very much to all my readers and friends who have been following my blog, I truly enjoyed sharing your laughter and comments. You have all been very supportive, and I really appreciate that.


Garando mode:
Sorry for all this drama... Read More......

Don't Let The Wife Buy The Undies

Why does she love buying me boxers like these?


I know that nobody else besides Garandee will actually see me wearing it, but what about my dignity? I had no choice but to ask her to stop buying me boxers that fall under any of these design classifications:

1) Floral
2) Pink
3) Polka Dots
4) Sanrio Characters

Fortunately, she agreed without further argument. So over the weekend she bought me this abomination instead.


front

back
Not much of an improvement, but at least the fabric was soft and light.

I wonder if she's being sarcastic about the carrot...


Garando mode:
Haju kashii.... Read More......

Filipino Cooking, The Garandee Way

Ok, looks like she's gotten more serious now.

Garandee decided to put more focus on Filipino dishes in her blog. So what's great about that?

1) She hopes to increase awareness of Filipino dishes for the Japanese community both local and abroad.
2) That tells me I'll have more variety of Filipino dishes to eat at home to satisfy my cravings.

And it looks like she's off to a good start because the first couple of dishes she whipped up and featured were her favorite ones.


Pinakbet
This dish contains an assortment of healthy vegetables: pumpkin, onions, string beans, tomatoes, eggplant and okra, all chopped, boiled then sautéed in traditional fermented shrimp paste.

The usual chopped pork belly that goes with it was a definite "NYO! Japanese are healthy!" But after much begging she agreed to top it with some crushed pork rinds. It turned out to be even better.

Shriveled veggies were also a definite "NYO! Japanese loves texture!" so she took extra care not to overcook 'em. The vegetables maintained a firm texture, giving it that nice feeling of freshness.



Kalabasa at Sitaw sa Gata
A rather "simpler" cousin to the Pinakbet, this dish only contains pumpkin (kalabasa) and string beans (sitaw). Both chopped then boiled before reaching the wok for some sauté action. Instead of shrimp paste, coconut milk (gata) was addded.

This time around she added meat when I wasn't expecting it! She secretly sautéed some minced chicken, onion, ginger and garlic before adding the vegetables in. The coconut milk concealed the meat perfectly. Sneaky!

I can say that both are still "Japanized" renditions of these traditional Filipino recipes, but the new ingredients worked like a charm to enhance the flavors and bring the dishes to new heights.

Now I can forgive her for putting condensed milk on our Adobo.


Garandee mode:
It's Garandeelicious!

Read More......

Home-based IT Support with a Twist

Garandee: "Do, Can you please sit next to me?"

Garando: "Sure dear. You miss me already?"

Garandee: "Nyo. There's something wrong with my Photoshop... Everytime I open a file it opens as black & white."

Garando: "Hmmm... that's odd. Hand me the mouse, I'll take a look at the settings..."

Garandee: "I didn't change anything, it just happened all of a sudden!"

Garando: "Hmmmm... Nothing seems to be out of place. All the settings are... BURP! excuse me! ....all the settings are at default so..."

Garandee: " !!! "

Garando: "What?"

Garandee: "KUSSSAAAAAIIIII!!! (it stinks)" Pinching her nose

Garando: " ??? "

Garandee: "I shouldn't have cooked longganiza for you today!!"

Garando: "Eeehh? It's not thaaaat baaaad. Seeeee? Haaaaaaahhhhh."

Garandee: "Oh my goodness talaga!"

Garando: "Wait, where are you going? I'm still fixing your..."

Garandee: "To the bedroom! Sooo kusai! (it stinks)"

Bedroom door: "SLAM!"

Garando: "...at least it still smells the same way when I ate it... unlike natto."


Garando mode:
Had to wake up so early to drive for Garandee today... Read More......