*Lucretius (94? BC – 55? BC)
The taste of tuyo and sinangag for breakfasts is always heavenly to me, coupled with white vinegar (with minced garlic and a little salt). I could also put some vinegar on the fried egg cooked sunny side up. Weird? Nah. As I have mentioned, it is heavenly. It is the opposite of hubby’s and kid’s taste for food during breakfasts. They like sauteed corned beef and fried egg more. There were times separate viands were prepared on breakfasts just to give in to each other whims.
While some deprived families dream of having this bounty for breakfast, I (or we) sometimes dream of a hotel’s luxurious service. At this point, it is me (us) who dream. How lucky some people are, we would think aloud. And who knows if those people at times get tired of the lavishness, and the taste of cured ham is bitter (not better) than fried tuyo?
You see we always compare. We either think we are superior to the others, or inferior at times. We think we are prettier, or more handsome, or more intelligent, or more talented, or richer, etc, etc. When we tend to be negative, we think we are uglier, or more stupid, or with only a few talents, or poorer, etc, etc. Both ways does not help.
Clinging to this bad habit of never-ending comparison of one’s self to others creates a monster in us. We end up in envy or jealousy. We end up hating others. We do unreasonable or inhumane things that hurt or harm. Or we end up believing we are the best, that nobody can beat us. We end up lonely and not satisfied.
I know some people who have this demanding attitude because of feeling that others are always on the lead or that they are better or at a higher level in life. With this, they demand, directly or indirectly, that they have to be given an extra ALWAYS because others are receiving more. They have to be understood though they are unbelievably detestable. They have to be special always because they are lacking in life. Funny? They exist, believe me.
Comparison is not bad if intended for a worthy cause. If it is for self-assessment to better one’s self, compare. If it is for progress or improvement, compare. “We should never compare ourselves to others. We may end up believing that we are better or lesser than the others. In either case, we are wrong,” goes one text message.
Warmstone 
sabi nga sa desiderata, “do not compare yourself with others, lest you become vain or bitter, for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.”
but tuyo, sinangag and suka is a heavenly combination. another is fried galunggong or tilapia, steamed rice, toyo with raw tomatoes. ah, my favorite!
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that part of desiderata is beautiful, Nico.
pareho pala tayo ng taste pagdating sa almusal…
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I love tuyo and daing, kasama ng itlog, sinangag at kamatis (ginugutom tuloy ako ulit) hinahanap hanap namin ni hubby yan dito. napakalayo pa naman ng mga Filipino stores, hay. Pero yung mga kapitbahay namin dito, ayaw nila dahil “humahalimuyak” daw ang amoy..haha.
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I cannot agree more Bing. We should all be our own persons; comparing ourselves to others will just make us miserable because surely, there will always be others who are better than us in some way or another.
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hi, Sol! parang ganyan din ang experience ni KU sa NZ! minsan yung mga humahalimuyak yun ang masarap, e he he bland kasi ang mga taste nila e pati na rin siguro ang pang-amoy ha ha
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oops, i almost forgot, Sol.. i am sorry i wasnt able to answer your last email. natulog na kasi. i was trying to access my email now para sagutin ka but nagloloko yata ang Yahoo.
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you are very right, major tom! it would only feel worse if we keep comparing. dito dapat pumasok ang contentment. if we are able to live naman accordingly and pleasantly, why do would we need the extras just to be above the others?
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Hi Bing….
You’re right comparing oneself without any good reasons can possibly make us more miserable..
Perhaps compare na lang natin sarili natin sa sarili natin….years ago, and then we would discover gains we attained…
smiles..
–jun–
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For me, kapag umuulan, nothing beats eating daing at may sawsawang suka na may sili’t kamatis, at nakakamay lang imbes na nakakutsara.:)Tapos hihigupan mo nang mainit na noodles. Panalo na para sa akin ang kumbinasyong ito.
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gains as in weight gain? ha ha much better, flexj!
thanks for dropping by!
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sam, ang sarap nga kumain ng mga ganung klaseng pagkain pag umuulan. masarap din ang noodles but not during breakfast.
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I guess nasa nature na natin to covet what we don’t have. Normal lang pero dapat siguro in control pa rin tayo and not to let it take hold of our lives. It is good to aspire, but we should seek our inner motives for aspiring that something.
Pagdating sa food, hmmm sympre masarap kainin yung di mo madalas kainin. Hehehe absence makes the stomach crave.
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i agree, blue. sometimes a person does anything, as in ANYTHING, to get what he/she wants – a result of being so indulged with the desire to get what others have. and when it is in her/his hands, that desire dissipates.
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Variety ika nga is the spice of life and when it comes to food, we need a balanced approach if we want to live longer. Masarap talaga ang tuyo sa suka’ subalit ang salt contents is diabolical. Definitely hindi pang araw araw na ulam. Kung masyadong malakas ang craving, we need to think moderation as in everything else.
Back to topic – enviousness or coveting what others have is innate to man’s nature. In an economically polarized country like RP where the gap between rich and poor is wide, the competition for the economic ladder becomes more intense and enviousness is exacerbated. The gap between rich and poor, educated vs uneducated also creates a class system. Our relationships with each other are often influenced by this class system. Thanks to religion and acquired personal values – they have to some extent diffused this tension. The way we treat our fellowmen is the ultimate manifestation of our character. To quote Samuel Johnson – “ the true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good”
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Hehe I wish I could agree on the breakfast thing but unfortunately, I usually wake up late kaya I miss it altogether. Kaya I’m so grateful if I can even eat anything egg-related in one week. (Tocilog anyone?)
As for comparisons: it’s funny how many sayings are there about that. “The grass if always greener on the other side.” “Keeping up with the Joneses.” I suppose di rin maiiwasan to kasi people are trained to want. Even from babes, they want love and affection, food and care.
Of course, wanting too much is a different thing altogether. 😉
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hi, mr banzai cat! long time no see… i dont have time also to bloghop much these days… (nag explain pa, ‘no? he he)
‘nga, e.. innate na nga yata sa lahat yun but then nasa atin pa rin kung pano i control ang dapat so that we dont act like toxic or bitter.
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bw, ok ang word, a – diabolical! maybe people should hear the word everytime they eat food that could harm the body.
have always liked the quote “ the true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good” …
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Ma’am Bing:
Paborito ko rin po ang tuyo at sinangag for breakfast. Ang totoo nyan, ito halos lagi ang aking ulam.
Pero sa panahong ito ng kahirapan, kaming mga mahihirap na Pilipino ay nahihirapan na ring bumili nito kaya tuloy sa noodles ang bagsak ng almusal namin.
Kung meron po kayong tuyo at sinangag dyan, imbitahan naman po ninyo kami sa inyong almusal.
Gumagalang,
Ka Webspy
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