Skip to main content

When Mom Violy spotted Crisostomo’s handwritten menu, something in her chest lit up: home-style lumpia, sinigang steaming in clay pots—could this be the comfort food she’d been missing?

Carmina informed Mom Violy that she would visit her home on Saturday, November 8, 2025. She asked if Mom Violy wanted to go out for lunch and mentioned needing to do some grocery shopping due to an upcoming big storm. Mom Violy suggested trying Crisostomo, a Filipino restaurant inside Robinsons Magnolia. Carmina forwarded the menu for her to choose what she wanted to eat, while Carmina already knew her order. I chose pork barbeque served in a set of three pieces with a vinegar dipping sauce. I skipped rice and opted for lumpiang hubad, fresh lumpia without a wrapper, topped with peanut sauce.  Mom Violy initially craved the classic Pinoy paella, but when it wasn’t available, she decided on sinigang na baboy with an extra serving of rice. A family member chose sisig with garlic rice. Carmina enjoyed her meal with Mom Violy and particularly liked the  lumpiang hubad , though she kept wondering why it had no wrapper. I explained that it’s called "naked" because it’s served witho...

Sleeping Pattern


A week ago I have been having a hard time sleeping and I notice my pattern of my sleeping changing I would sleep at 2:00 AM wake up after one hour sleep or two end up turning on my internet and see who was online to chat with my California friends back home.

I felt someone was thinking of me because I seemed to be restless and my eyes we’re tired but for some reason I couldn’t shut my eyes to sleep.

There is a saying here in the Philippines when you have a child and they will be separated from you they ask you not to think of them.

I remembered a long time ago my in-law had visited a relative who had a baby living aboard. The baby couldn’t sleep on its sleeping pattern because someone was thinking of him and it had affected the baby. The baby kept crying and no matter if you’ve given them their milk or change their diaper nothing seems to help them.

The parent had to call up their in-law to stop thinking of the baby and all a sudden after that calls the baby was able to sleep normal all over again.

You are an adult you don’t know who is thinking of you not making you sleep.

After talking to my friends they are also having the same problem their sleeping pattern has changed because their life style has changed and no matter you make yourself active in your home you still can’t find a way to put yourself to sleep.

Sometimes it is just in our minds that make us feel this way and when we feel we have nothing to do the next day we end up delaying our sleeping pattern it changes our life and the time we eat our meals.

I am not sure if anyone is like me I no longer have the appetite like how you normally eat just that the time pattern of your meals have changed but as well your diet as changed as well.

You no longer feel you want to eat you crave for food but when it arrives you don’t feel like eating it at all.

I have friends showing me what meals they eat every time we talk every day sometimes you see their food looks better than yours and you feel like you wish you can enter their home just like magic.



Comments