LIKE A WABBIT

I have always hated vegetables in my youth. As I grow up, my Nanay always reminded us that eating veggies is good for the body. She often had this rhymes about them. I remember: "Mapait nga ako,Iyan ay totoo,Lakas ng buto mo,galing sa pait ko." ...yeah, that's right! it's AMPALAYA! and many more.... * Oh those were the days when Nanay would always be with us and continuously guided us on what is right and what is not. As I went through HS, I learned to eat a little when all my packed lunch had these salads or pickled vegetables in it. In the NW, most meals were heavyweight meat,poultry and at times, fish. Not much vegetables were offered on the table. As I travelled down back East, I had to accept the fact that the Japanese eat vegetables as if a table without them wouldn't be accepted as a meal. ** I had immersion on veggies when I went to NISHI MERA, a small but beautiful village in between mountains in rural MIYAZAKI-KEN, in KYUSHU, the southernmost island in Japan. This village looked like the outskirts of Baguio,near Loakan Airport, and I liked that. ONE-SAN [ATE] {she whose skin is something to behold,despite her age!} had a small cabin located beside the river with the mountain as backdrop. The only meat they eat is that of deers which roam the area freely. I saw one as we walked through the woods:it was so big, three men couldn't wrest with it... ALL meals were vegetables available in the area. I once commented "ALL GRASS!" and everyone laughed. ONE-san volunteered to go 'down' the city and buy some meat for me.... but I declined. 'Kakahiya naman...' The entire week I stayed there, I ate vegetables 98% of the time, and had some grilled deer meat only once! wheew! So that's one pretty initiation on something I wasn't used to, ei? Anyway, one good thing happened, though.... I didn't feel constipated and I felt fantastic! I don't know.... Is it the fresh mountain air?... or the clear sweet water from the mountain spring? [which, BTW, is free; one has just to place his own water pipe from the source, and presto! you have sweet, clear, delicious water flowing freely right into your faucet:365/24!]. *** If there is any wonder why the Japanese are known to have long lives, well, EUREKA! I think I found the answer: EAT LIKE A WABBIT! **** Nowadays, I always have vegetables of all sort on my table. I have learned some great ways to prepare veggie dishes so it will last long. Besides, there are TSUKIMONOs [PICKLED VEGGIEs] that are simply marvelous! ***** WANNA HAVE LONGER LIVES? EAT LIKE A WABBIT! Better start now, before it is too late.....

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