Rain in the Desert Place

Finally, rain poured in Qatar yesterday! This is the first rain which rarely occurs during transition of season from summer to winter around the state. Since early morning, the sky seems dim then little by little; it continuously turned into gloomy and cloudy with few stroke of lightning and sound of rumbling thunders. And at about noon time, finally a heavy down pours of rain transpired. From a country where extreme heat temperature is normal, rain is considered as a blessings from above. Rain – a normal meteorological phenomenon which is usually taken for granted elsewhere in the world but a huge treat in the desert country like Qatar. Thus when rain comes, almost everybody go outside and enjoy the rare moment.

On the other hand, this event caused consternation especially to us. The rain poured for at least 2 hours so our room was filled with water from the leaks in the ceiling. Also, the front yard was flooded. We have no choice, instead to be upset; I just patiently gazed the Nepalese enjoying their own moments under the heavy rain shower. Here are some of my unusual sights:

closer look of floating slippers and bottles

slipper-swimmers

some enjoying the rain shower

during the rain

after the rain

Here in the state, drainage system is typically taken for granted because of the rare occurrence of heavy rain. Usually, in major highways, streets and public parks, drainage system is absent. Thus any heavy rain fall that lasts for more than an hour causes floods along the way. They (the authorities) just suction the floodwater afterwards. Anyways, experiencing rain amid the desert place is worth enjoying this kind of small pleasures of life. Typically, rain is symbolically meant sorrow or distress to some but for the gulf country like Qatar, rain symbolizes hope. That amidst long time season of scorching extreme heat, rain shall come no matter what.

Recipe 107: Fish Sweet and Sour

Usually, I do this dish once we have generous amount of left-over fried fish from our previous meals. The fish is usually a King Fish type, which is one of the very familiar in Qatar fish market. Unlike other kinds of fish, this one tastes good only once newly fried because if several hours passed King Fish typically hardens and losses its crispiness. So that the left over will not be put into waste, it is better for me to resort to another good menu – the sweet and sour using the left-over fried fish.

This one might be very far from the typical sweet and sour you have tasted in your fave restaurants but this too tastes very acceptable. I have been doing this for several times and so far I am satisfied to this dish.

Ingredients:

Left-over king fish: shred into considerable sizes

1 carrot: sliced into thin pieces

1 green bell pepper: sliced into thin pieces

Ginger: sliced into thin pieces

Cloves of garlic

1 pc Onion: sliced into ring size

2 pinch of Ground black pepper

Tomato paste 250 mg

1 tbsp of Sugar

1 tbsp of white vinegar

Considerable amount of flour dissolved in cold water (for thickening the sauce)

Fried Fish

Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce

   

How to cook:

1.       Refried the fish in the pan (to make it crispy again). Then place it in a separate plate.

2.       Heat another pan. Put cooking oil into the pan and sauté onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant.

3.       Add the carrots until it turns tender then add the bell pepper.

4.       Pour a substantial amount of water and let it simmer for few minutes. Then add the tomato paste, white vinegar, sugar, ground pepper, and the dissolve flour. Mixed.

5.       Add the pineapple chunks (excluding the syrup) and season to taste.

6.       Pour the sauce into the plate with fish.

7.       Serve hot with rice.

       Enjoy your meal!

Blank

For a month long, vast ideas were lingering inside my mind and I wanted it posted in this blog. But these words were just hanging on and waiting for them to be released and be put into writing. These thoughts were never freed. Imagine those broken and complex unorganized thoughts that it is so huge my entire brain cannot comprehend and it simply freezes once I sit in front of my laptop. The outcome – a blank.

Perhaps, this is just one of the effects of having a cerebrum not trained or may I say not born into depth, fine writing and extemporaneous speaking. Ever since when I was in grade school, good command of English writing and speaking is my utmost weak point. At all times, I struggle in this subject. That is why I actually despised topic reports and essay type of questions in my periodic examinations during my high school years. My words are insufficient to express my point of views on a certain topic. I never known the words before that melancholy is synonymous with sad; omnipotence to power, and profligate to extravagant. Correct grammar is also not my thing. I had also a hard grasp on the effects of the subject to its predicates: the s-verb thing. Every time we had exams such this either in high school or college, I often burn my eyebrows beforehand. After years of study and understanding, the s-verb thing rule was somehow instilled in my brain cells: If the subject is singular, the linking verb or the verb is plural and vice versa.

I admit I envy others who could write good stories or articles. I know few of the good writers either in history or contemporary time, they were born with it. Such talent is in their blood (How blessed they are!). But, how about those some who are ungifted, including myself? My keen interest in writing is only just lately. Maybe few years back. I guess, I was inspired to read and write more by my own weakness for me to learn. By engaging my free time to writing and reading, I assumed I have given myself the best opportunity of developing my weak points. I gained self-confidence in every unfamiliar word I read in the newspapers, online articles or even in the books and I could apply it in my own writing – most especially in this blog, the online blog that I started just this year. This merely expresses my way of thinking about all things. I, being the official member of the semi-introvert-type of person since a kid and who was haply and subconsciously aggravated by the early demise of my loving mother when I was in grade school, writing somehow distances myself of being solitude and concealed. I remembered the times when one of our subject teachers in 4^th-year high school asked us to individually relay a message to each one of our classmates before we part away. Nearly all of them except those I used to be friends with wrote in a piece of paper saying I had a very timid personality – because I rarely talk with them. And I was aware of that thing. For my lifetime, I have been correcting my perplexed attitude towards relationship with others and strangers. Seriously, I need this change put into effect at full liberty - freedom of initiating a conversation with strangers without reluctance, insecurities, and reservation.

With all these weaknesses in my brain and my will of my heart to learn, a blank document is might be a temporary thing. I wish my continuous learning through writing and constant interaction with others will slowly alter my circumstances. In God’s time, I wish for no blank outcomes. By realizing this wish, maybe it’s enough for me to say that I have reached the peak of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.

Recipe 106: Chicken in Chilis and Bagoong (Bicol Express – Inspired Menu)

Here’s another treat for anyone who loves Bicol Express but couldn’t find any pork meat in this desert state. Qatar has permitted sole merchant the selling of pork products to non-Muslim people only but still it is very costly and regulated with very limited supply. However, other gulf countries especially the Kingdom of Saudi, pork are seriously a no-no. So to lessen one’s craving from Bicol Express (Bicolano dish cooked out of pork meat cut into small pieces and mixed with bagoong and chilis), I substituted chicken meat from pork which is as good as the original one. This dish does only need few ingredients which are highly available in the market and this is very easy to cook.

Ingredients:

Half kg Chicken: cut into small pieces

Chilis: either green or red – cut into considerable length

3-4 tsp of Bagoong (Salted Shrimp Fry)

Cloves of garlic: sliced into small pieces

1 onion: sliced into small pieces

Ground Pepper

Ample amount of cooking oil

Pineapple chunks in syrup (Optional)

How to cook:

1.      Heat oil in a pan.  

2.      Add onion and garlic and stir fry until onions look translucent.

3.      Put chicken meat; stir from time to time, until the meat becomes brownish and soft.

4.      Add bagoong, chilis, and ground pepper. Mixed. Cook for 2 minutes.

5.      Separate pineapple chunks from the syrup and add into the pan and mix.

6.      Serve hot.

(Pineapple is added to give extra taste to the dish but this one makes the dish spoil hasty if left in under a room temperature. So it's better to put this inside the fridge after your meal and if you want to save it for the next meal.)