Eye spy

The most memorable thing that happened to me when I turned forty was that my eyesight began to give out. (I said memorable, okay? Not best.) I finally had to acknowledge this when I found myself having to change my mobile’s text-size to the largest setting. I had always been partial to small text, a predilection that did not sit too well with some clients back when I designed websites. That was when I could still read it.

For another, I had blank spots in my field of vision that would suddenly come and go, not to mention the occasional dizziness and vomiting. The eye doctor had me undergo the usual battery of tests. “Well, your eyes are perfectly normal,” he began. “Now, about those blind spots…”

Was I hypertensive? Yes. Did I experience migraines, headaches — that sort of thing? No. He pondered on this for a while. “I had a patient,” he finally said, “same symptom. Turned out he had a brain tumor.”

My cardiologist wasn’t too reassuring either. Told about the problem, he ordered brain scans. Yes — plural. I wasn’t too keen on the procedures, mainly because of an EEG I had when I was about ten. It had to do with my sleepwalking, and to confirm the doctor’s hunch I was induced into an epileptic seizure. It was traumatic. More so because it took me days to get the paste out of my hair. (I was diagnosed as mildly epileptic, by the way.)

I never did go through with the scans. The machine was under repair and the other hospital I was referred to had a months-long waiting list. As for the “spotting,” it ceased not long after. I pray it stays that way. That eye doctor’s a scary guy.

I like eyeglasses, but only as accessory. Now I can’t live without. I used to have three pairs and am currently down to one — one pair damaged beyond repair, the other (my favorite) lost one drunken evening at the beach. I’m still in mourning over that. You have no idea how hard it is to find a frame that looks good and feels right. When this last pair goes I’ll start doing podcasts instead.

“Eat kalabasa,” well-meaning souls advise, the lowly squash being rich in antioxidants particularly beneficial to eyesight. Are they kidding me? I would eat kalabasa even if I had X-ray vision, that’s how much I love the stuff. Funny thing was, I got no such recommendation from the eye guy. All he had me do was maintain a journal to record whenever the spots struck. I never got around to doing that, either. Too much of a bother. Bad comes to worse, I can at least look forward to one thing to get me through those dreaded brain scans. I seem to remember the technician being quite cute.

Sautéed Squash

When buying squash, choose ones that are firm-skinned (no bruising) and heavy for their size. When sliced open, there should to be a thin film of moisture on the flesh. The deeper shade of gold the flesh, the better.

For maximum flavor, I prefer the Thai style of mixing (or mashing) all the spices together with the condiments prior to cooking. The spice mixture also goes well with other vegetable dishes, or it can be used as a salad dressing. Omit chili if you don’t like the dish spicy.

• 2 cups peeled and deseeded squash cut into 1″ chunks

For the spice mixture:
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 medium red onion, minced
• 1 medium ripe tomato, deseeded and minced
• 1 finger chili, minced (optional)
• 2 teaspoons fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon shrimp paste
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• juice of ½ lime (or 1 kalamansi)


• 2 tablespoons oil, for frying
• ⅛ cup water
• salt and ground black pepper, to taste
• chopped spring onion greens, to garnish

1. Using mortar and pestle, pound together garlic, onion, tomato, and chili (if using) until you form a rough paste. Add the fish sauce, shrimp paste, sugar, and lime (or kalamansi) juice. Mix well.
2. Put wok over high heat. Pour in oil and wait until hot, then add the spice mixture. Sauté for 30 seconds before adding the squash.
3. Sauté squash for 2 to 3 minutes before adding water. Cover pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid has boiled off and squash chunks are fork-tender and crumbling around the edges (you may need to add more water, a little at a time, along the way). Season to taste and serve garnished with chopped spring onion.