Simple pleasures

What’s your simple pleasure?

My friend, Dante, says that one of life’s surprising pleasures is taking coffee with semi-ripe mango and two thumbs of Butterfinger in the morning.

My simple pleasure comes easier, given my rural upbringing, having grown up in a farm, way ahead of that controversial mayor. Give me fried (saba) bananas, one that’s semi-ripe, crunchy, with matching brewed coffee any time. You’ll be amazed at how fast I can say yes to anything, including lending money and pride to strangers.

Many other simple pleasures can include any of all of the following: a daily walk either in the morning or in the late afternoon, tea or coffee time with a good friend, a rain shower, an all-Filipino meal topped by chicken and pork adobo, or a breakfast of dried fish, scrambled egg, and fried rice, reading at night in bed after taking a hot bath, watching a good film on Netflix or You Tube.   

Years ago in the US, I picked up a book called Simple Pleasures. It had the following sub-title: Soothing Suggestions and Small Comforts for Living Well Year Round.

Written by Robert Taylor, Susannah Seton and David Greer, the book is a wonderful source book of ideas, projects, stories, recipes and inspirational quotations that can be anyone’s guide to life and living.

The activities lined up in the book are divided into four seasons, making sure that one’s year will be full. The suggestions are really quite simple, such as preparing a particular dish or dessert when one is feeling low or under the weather. 

The book also lists down a number of recipes as recalled by various contributors who turned to them at some point in their life to seek comfort.

Aside from preparing comfort food, activities lined up include planning games, getting a massage, recalling their favorite activities yesterday when they were young.

The book’s blurb says it all: ‘With stories, quotes, tips, and recipes, Simple Pleasures is an unusual and charming guide to appreciating the simple things that make up daily life….a celebration of the art of living well.’  

The book reminds me of a line from the delicious Italian film, ‘Lessons in Chocolate.’

While the lead characters were being taught in class how to prepare delectable chocolate specialties, their teacher tells them that what’s more important is ‘creating tiny moments of ecstasy with each bite of chocolate.’