The Filipina Princess

Last night my husband got a taste of Filipino culture that left him speechless at first and then completely outraged. We were enjoying some after dinner espresso and ice cream at an outdoor terrace, enjoying the view of the city by night. There were several large SUVs parked alongside the road. A group of young locals walked up to one of the cars and climbed into the vehicle, and the one who was presumably the owner got behind the wheel. We noticed a young girl who just stood by the front passenger seat, arms crossed. She looked like she was waiting, while everyone else was already in the car. I immediately knew what was happening… my husband caught up and said: “No… it can’t be… you’ve got to be kidding!” Sure enough the driver got out of the car and went to open the door for his girlfriend. My husband could not believe his eyes; in Europe this kind of gallantry no longer exists, at least not in France and Switzerland! I told him, beaming: "You think I'm a princess? That's a REAL Filipina princess!" 

Back when I was a freshman in university in Manila, following one year of utter freedom and independence in New York City, I got offended when guys wanted to carry my textbooks around campus. It also took me a while to understand why they kept shifting sides on the sidewalk, only to understand later that they were being chivalrous by acting as a human shield between the traffic and me, should anything happen. I won’t deny that after a few years I eventually got used to it! In terms of culture shock for my husband who has always lived in Geneva, this is only the beginning… a little sense of humor is definitely required!

As for my mock Bouillabaisse, it turned out okay, though I let the soup reduce too much and in the end there was hardly any left for second servings. I could not even poach the fish in the soup so ended up sautéing them in butter, as they did at Michelin-starred Table au Sud in Marseille where I did my first internship. The only issue was that I by the time I plated the dishes (croutons at the bottom, then the fish filets, shellfish, potatoes and finally the soup and rouille), I could no longer identify the different varieties for the guests, which was a bit frustrating, as I myself like to know what I am eating The rouille, which is a heady, garlicky mayonnaise-type sauce to be eaten alongside the fish, was a bit too strong for my taste, as the olive oil I used overpowered it. Unfortunately I was too anxious and excited at serving time to take a picture.