‘For me, it’s home. It’s the
kaldero on the table. There’s nothing beautiful about it. It’s practical and you enjoy the flavor. It’s good because you grew up with it.’
It was an unusually sunny autumn morning in Amsterdam with the cloudless blue sky and the sycamore trees almost down to their last remaining leaves.
I thought it was the perfect weather to meet up with the two Pinoys behind Kalye,
Paulito Rondolo, 40, and
Mike Morales, 41, at the park in the neighborhood. Well, the sun had once again fooled my tropical brain, thinking my quilt jacket and wool scarf could protect me from this three-degree Celsius weather. The Kalye boys knew better, with Paulito being born and raised in the Netherlands and Mike moving here with his family when he was 14. They arrived in thick winter jackets, gloves, and beanies under their hoodies.