Talking Relationship: 'We mean a lot to each other'

Froela Calizo Bladen, winner of Gulf News Super Cook 2002, and her brother Galo Calizo, also a finalist at the contest, speak to Sonali Raha

Froela Calizo Bladen, 39, is a Filipina home-maker living in Dubai with her husband and two brothers. By qualification a nutritionist, Froela is passionate about cooking and a superb cook.

She has reached the finals of the Gulf News Super Cook competition three times and won it this year with an impressive score. Froela is married to Steve, a British engineer. Their 18-year-old son studies in Wales.

Galo Calizo, 34, is Froela's younger brother. A veterinarian by profession, he works in Dubai in a travel agency. A very good cook himself, he has twice reached the finals of the Gulf News Super Cook competition.

In the Gulf's richest amateur cooking competition, hundreds of entrants are finally whittled down to four. The very fact that Froela and Galo both qualified for the finals makes this brother-sister special.

Froela Calizo Bladen:

I am the eldest among seven brothers and sisters, five girls and two boys. Galo is the fourth. When I was a teenager, he was a little boy, but we always shared things. My mother was a teacher and my father was a government employee. I grew up in Ilagan in Isabella province of northern Philippines.

My mother went to Manila city to take her Masters degree. My father would have to travel outside our town to his telecommunications station. He worked evenings and slept during the day. So, at nine years old, I would take the salary of both my parents and make a budget. At nine, I was in charge of the household.

We had a maid but she was too lazy, so I asked my mother to get rid of her. And we learnt to do things for ourselves. I'd wake up in the morning, cook breakfast, go to school, come back home, cook lunch, go to school again in the afternoon, go to the market on the way home, come back and cook dinner. I would also bathe Galo, take him for walks, give him his milk.

He was a temperamental little child. If the glass of milk was too hot for him, he would throw it away.

My mother and my grandmother were very good cooks. They both came from Pampanga in the Philippines where everyone is a good cook. I grew up with the smell of good food in the house.

When my mother was at home, she always cooked. Every Saturday, her day off, she cooked non-stop. Typically Filipino food like beef stew and fish stew. She also made desserts, rice cakes and coconut thingies - they were very good. All our family's money went in food (laughs).

We did a lot of fun things too. Once I remember we had gone to another village. Galo lost the bus fare home. There was a school by the road and it was holding a competition. Galo went and sang. When the school wanted to give him a prize, he said 'don't give me a prize, give us the bus fare to go home'...

For a while, Galo and I grew up separately. I went to college in Manila and Galo went to stay with my grandmother. But when we met in the holidays, we did not feel as if there was any distance between us. I would cook for all of us. Galo, much younger, would help us grate the coconut and wash the dishes. Even today, when I cook, Galo serves, washes the dishes and cleans up.

I will always think about him as my little brother. I'm very protective of him. He's nice, kind, funny. He always thinks of others. My husband and I brought him to Dubai. He has got a job here and stays with us. We have no problems living together as we are all very easy to live with.

Galo is a very happy go lucky person. He doesn't care about tomorrow. I worry about little things. My mother died when I was 27 and I became the mother of my brothers and sisters. I always worry about them. Even in Dubai, if Galo does not come home by the time he says he will, I worry.

I keep worrying till I hear the door open and shut. Once I know he has come home, I am happy.
From Galo, I have learnt to let go. He means a lot to me. We mean a lot to each other. When we eat together on Fridays, we always talk about things in the past, our childhood.

Galo Calizo:

Froela was like a second mom to us. Very strict. But I also remember when she was in college she was this pretty, pretty lady whom everyone was courting. Every time she went out on a date I was there. I was her official chaperon (laughs).

I know that she looked after me when I was little. But I don't remember too much of it. But I do remember when I was about seven, she would send me to the market about a kilometre away from our home to buy things. If I brought wrong things, she'd send me back. If I didn't want to go, she'd take me with her and shout at the vendor in front of me. It was very embarrassing.

But all my sisters were also very naughty, like all girls. I remember one rainy day, Froela told me, 'come'. We went to a farm close by and plucked vegetables for dinner and we ran back. I know it was not right, but it was fun.

Froela was always an entrepreneur. She would make sweets and ask me to sell them. The only problem was, I ended up eating them.

I grew to learn good cooking from watching her. I am always impressed by how fast and tireless she is in the kitchen. I get tired easily, but she never gets tired, no matter how big a group she is cooking for.

We live together as adults now and there are no major problems. She is a typical girl. She talks a lot. I'm more of a quiet person, more of an introvert. Sometimes I share my feelings with her. I love my brother-in-law too. He is very, very nice. The lovely thing about him is when you give him something to eat he will always finish it and say it was good.

Froela and I don't cook much together at home. I clean the house. I don't mess around when she's cooking. When she has finished, I wash the dishes, set the table, clean up. I'm the clean-up guy. When I watch her cook, I'm inspired. Later, I also experiment.

At our family we were given different assignments. She was always in charge of cooking. We had no plumbing so my brother and I had to fetch water for the entire household of nine.

We Filipinos are not very expressive. We don't say 'I love you' a lot. Instead, we take care of each other, we do things together. I'm with Froela in her low moments and happy moments.

Our relationship is born out of deep respect and affection. She's the big mama of the family now. She's the reason I'm here. She inspires me. She means a lot to me. I'm proud of her. She's the one who has kept the family close.

She deserves everything in life that she's got - a good husband, winning the Gulf News Super Cook competition. She always deserves the very best.