Carmina Villarroel, Gelli de Belen rediscover the joy of doing household chores this pandemic

Thanks to quarantine, Carmina Villarroel and Gelli de Belen now find joy in "simple things" and "simple tasks," like cleaning the house and cooking for the family. The former co-hosts of the now defunct GMA-7 morning show had fun recollecting shared stories and giving each other updates on their quarantined lives.

Carmina told Gelli about her newfound appreciation for the "small things." She said, "Dahil sa pandemiya na ito, ang dami kong realizations. To begin with naman, appreciative na ako, e. Very thankful na ako to begin with. Pero ngayon, mas lalo. Iyong small things, mas lalo ko talagang pinagpapasalamatan."

For Carmina, the "small things" are the ones she once "took for granted," such as "iyong mga hindi mo akalain gagawin mo ay nagawa mo." Of late, she has been cooking meals for husband Zoren Legaspi and their twins Mavy and Cassy. The celebrity hostactress has been whipping up dishes for her family since March when the enhanced community quarantine was strictly imposed.

Carmina said, somewhat amazed, "Isa pang pinagpapasalamatan ko sa nangyari ngayon— grabe na ako, nagluluto na ako ngayon. Di ba, sa atin, ako iyong least na nagluluto? Ako talaga iyong walang alam sa kusina. Ako iyong tagakain, taga-order. Pero ngayon, Gelli, ako talaga nagluluto sa bahay. Bago nagkaroon ng lockdown, iyong cook namin pinauwi ko na sa Batangas kasi may pamilya siya doon, e. So, bago pa lang maglockdown, pinauwi muna namin siya para nandun siya sa pamilya niya kasi hindi natin alam kung ano mangyayari, e. Ngayon, nawalan ako ng cook, so patay kang bata ka." But Carmina discovered the joy cooking, and is now quite proud of the Asian dishes she serves her family.

She continued, "Kasi di ba mas malasa iyong Asian food, especially

Thai? Mas gusto ko Asian kasi nga, di ba, gusto natin patis, gusto natin soy sauce. Malinamnam. Pero ngayon, medyo nagbago ako ngayon. Kaya kahapon grilled chicken lime na may parang bruschetta...Ang gusto ko, mga easy-todo. At saka iyong hindi mo na kailangan pumunta pa sa grocery kasi wala kang ingredient na iyon. Kung ano meron sa pantry."

For Gelli's part, she said the pandemic has forced her to become more efficient in managing the household. She and husband Ariel Rivera happened to be with their sons Julio and Joaqui, who are both in Canada for their studies, when COVID-19 broke out. They have not returned to the country because of the pandemic.

Gelli told Carmina, "I've been here five months so, siyempre, sanay ako na I have help at home. Wala, dito lahat kami. Kilos-kilos. Cook morning, noon, and night, ganun. Clean morning, noon, and night." She thoughtfully added, "This has been an experience for all of us, but for me, I'm grateful that I was able to do this with my kids. Because, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to spend this much time with them."

Carmina's reaction: "I know it's tiring, but it's fun." Gelli in agreement: "It's actually gratifying. Siguro kung ano mang mga hormones na lumalabas, happy hormones, di ba, may ganun? May na-accomplish ka. Iyong simple tasks, simple things make you appreciative or grateful now. Like things you've never thought you needed, suddenly, ay, essential pala siya. Mga bagay-bagay na akala mo importante, ay, kaya pala wala!"

Fully in accord with Gelli, Carmina remarked, "Di ba? I mean, kunwari na lang kung mahilig ka, let's say mahilig ka sa bags, mahilig ka sa shoes, mahilig ka sa mga damit. O, ngayon tinitignan mo na lang sila. O, saan ka punta? Makakain mo ba iyan? You know what I mean?"

Gelli averred, "Parang ngayon ang essential ay pagkain, tubig." Carmina seconded that, "Di ba? Iyon naman talaga, kaya nga siya tinawag na basic necessity, e. Tubig, pagkain, shelter, di ba?" However brief their virtual chat was, what came out of it was what has always counted to Carmina and Gelli most of all, which is keeping family safe and in one p i ece.