Pasalubong

My sister had asked for a banga. It's a clay pot used to cook rice in. She also wanted the stand that it sits on and where you put the charcoal. Apparently, there's a version for wood cooking, which has a lower lip that protrudes forward. I bought the charcoal version. Cost is PhP90 (US$1.80). But it's heavy. I'm still deciding whether to ship it (shipping will probably cost 30 times more, not to mention the packing materials) or to pack it in a balikbayan box (the way the airlines throw luggage around, we'd be lucky if it makes it to the US without breaking). She probably expected me to handcarry it, but I have too many electronics that are worth more than her banga, so handcarrying the banga is out of the question.

Last Sunday, I bought a bagful of jewelry from Malali. Somehow, he conned his companions to let him sell to me alone. He had a lot more inventory this time. Necklaces and bracelets made of pearls, corals, and wooden beads. We took a long time to haggle on the price. He obviously bought a lot of pearls thinking that I would buy all of them. So, when I decided to buy just a few of the pearls, he gave in and gave me the price I wanted. He even slashed the prices on other items I wasn't even thinking of buying. I got 21 strands of pearls (unfinished), six necklace-and-bracelet sets made of pearl, and 17 sets made of the multi-tone corals. And the rest of his inventory, he offered them free.

Today, we visited a pastillas-maker and ordered 20 packs (each with 18 sticks) of the "special" kind. He wouldn't give us the wholesale price but he said he'll add two packs for free. I took pictures of how his children made the pastillas. All they did is filter the carabao's milk, add sugar, and let it boil until it thickens. Then they wrap them in rice paper. The pastillas has a shelf life of three weeks. Longer if it's refrigerated.


Pastillas. more pics

Nanay Percing, the cook at the resort, also agreed to make some bocayo for me to take home. Bocayo is made from shredded coconut and panutcha, a sweetener like concentrated brown sugar that looks like a block of chocolate.

I'm packing a small Ziploc bag of sand for my Zen garden. And I'm taking the shells and stones and corals that I found on the beach during my walks.

I'm also doing more shopping in Manila, so I'll have more stuff to take home as pasalubong.