Domingo Mexicano con las manos

Yesterday, I did not touch a single kitchen utensil at all!  In fact, all my hands did was lovingly stroke every single piece of food before I placed them in my mouth.  Except for that Greek yogurt (Adik! Adik!) I had at dawn before I ran the half marathon with my friend and 3,900++ strangers at the Adidas King of the Road gig.  But everything else-- bananas, grapes, tamarind candies (Moniegold da best!), banana cake, and brownie-- had to go through my prying fingers first before they were swallowed.

There's something about eating with your bare hands.  I guess it makes the act of nourishing your body through food more intimate?  After all, the hand is our major tool for creation, action, and exploration.  Experts from various fields theorized that the hands have a special direct connection to your brain, soul, and even, destiny.

Whatever it is, I'm sure about one thing: I love eating with my hands!  And if there's one cuisine that doesn't require forks, knives or chopsticks, and is beloved by diners all over the world, it's Mexican.  We're lucky there's a great little taco and burrito joint in our neighborhood called Mexican Express and that's where we checked in last night.

To make my hand-to-mouth dining experience really worthwhile, I ordered a Nacho Grande but instead of ground beef, I requested for refried beans on the side.  We also had cheese flautas, which is really just fried cheese lumpia with salsa, and C got a Super Beef Burrito.  But I did not take a photo of the burrito because I was not destined to eat it.

Last Day 7

Nachos I got for libre!  Arriba!

Flautas or "taquitos"-- little tacos.  

Mestisang yogart / Takaw sa taco

Mestisang Yogart

May matangkad na Greko
Na bumisita sa preso
Natipuhan ng isang Pilipino
At pinakilala sa kanyang apo
Na bumisita rin sa preso

Mahinhin na dalagita
Ang gusto ng banyaga
So nag-date sila sa Luneta
At nagholding-hands pa
Sa ilalim ng mangga

Isang taon ang lumipas
Nagpakasal din sa wakas
Ang nagmamahalang si Tomas
At si Annalyn Bagasbas
Sa simbahan sa Batangas

Isang araw, may naka-realize
Na pinsan ni Lynlyn na si Lyz
Na marami palang sinabing lies
Itong si Tomas na mukhang plays (English: "pliers")
Na minsan ay mukha 'ring katol

Pero bago sila maghiwalay
May isang araw na sila'y sumablay
Dahil itong si Lynlyn na mahalay
Ay gusto palang maging nanay
So nagpabuntis siya kay Tomay

Mestisong bata ang lumabas
Crush ng bayan itong si Kulas
Kaso di niya alam ang panglunas
Sa kanyang pusong butas
Na di kayang takpan maski ng bayabas

So nagtangka ang bonitong mestiso
Na pumunta sa kabilang dako
Nang sa kanya may nagpayo
Na isa ring mestisong gwapo
(Na anak ng maitim na Kano)

Sayang beauty mo sister, sabi niya
Sumama ka nalang sa akin sa Maynila
At doon tayo magpakaganda!
Di tayo bagay maging Shanna
Dahil, hello, mukha tayong artista!

Napangiti si Kulas ng malaki
Kasi finally sa kanya may nakaintindi
Na kapwang magandang lalaki
Na feel din na siya'y pwedeng-pwede
Maging isang BB Gandanghari!

So nagpaparty si Kulas sa kanila
Dahil sa wakas alam na niya
Na siya pala ay isang bakla
And buti cool din si Mama
Na ang anak nya'y maging mestisa


Last Day 3

Ang mestisang yogart: maganda sa mata, maganda sa tiyan.

* * *

Takaw sa taco

'Pag pagod ka na sa katatakbo

Posibleng makaubos ka ng taco 

Sa loob ng limang minuto

Gaya ko

('Yun lang!)

Last Day 4

Magpasalamat ka at sinakop tayo ng iba't ibang bansa.

Loco for Mexican Taco (Salad)

DAY 3

I didn't feel like making my own dinner so I treated my pets (dog and human) to a late night out on Maginhawa Street.

For Tobi, walking is enough of a treat, so we braced our ears for the territorial barking of the poor caged dogs along the street while the little one absolutely enjoyed every second of its leashed freedom.  I treated C to a super burrito at my favorite place on the resto strip, Mexican Express, while I got a colorful taco salad* for myself.

Did you know that UNESCO has added traditional Mexican cuisine to its list of the world's intangible cultural heritages?  There's a TV show I always catch on Sundays that features Mexican food and because of it, I have added Mexico to my own list of must-visit countries. 
 

The Mexicans know how to salsa.

*Taco salad is a Mexican-inspired dish invented by Americans.  It's not a traditional Mexican dish.