My affinity and love for fish balls started when I was in college/university 25 years ago. My days in UP (University of the Philippines) would not be complete if I didn’t get to spend Php10 in Ate’s food stall beside the building of College of Mass Communications where we will talk about how hard Math 1 was and how cute the boys were in the AS lobby.
Such was life when you were just 18 years old. I worried about what brand of shirt I was wearing and how many pimples I had to cover due to the stress of studying for exams. Being a student in the state university also doesn’t help your ego as I always had to be competitive to get good grades and get into the Dean’s list.
I hardly miss a single day that I will not eat fishballs or kikiam as it was my source of comfort – a sgin that I have survived another day in school. They were cooked right in front of our eyes, poked using a stick, dipped in sweet gravy. And because I have always loved a bit of a kick – I dipped my fish balls in spicy vinegar, onions and chili padi. Yummy!
Fast forward to 25 years. My first time to experience fish balls in Singapore – imported all the way from Manila! It brought so much fond memories of being single, carefree and young. It’s good to remember all these things because it is when I look back at my humble beginnings that I truly appreciate what I have right now.