ENGAGING IN ROUGH and tumble games with the high blue waves in
my hometown of Santa Catalina in Ilocos Sur. [Ondoy took most of old family photos and what’s left include this
of me as a teenager – gloriously thin (?) – posing by the seashore; and a few
years later, my daughters Ghiselle and Pee Ann and niece Rica getting devoured by
and yet enjoying the playful waves.]
Enjoying the
sights, sounds and scents of Bali in Indonesia with its elaborate temples and colorful
and aromatic floral offerings.[Daughter Pee Ann makes a collage of the things we see first upon arriving in Kuta Bali. The next one shows the entire foreign delegates in one of the many temples we visited.]
Getting awe-struck
by the burst of orange and red and yellow and violet and even blue each time a
sunset happens in any part of the archipelago. [Below are my shots of such sunsets
in Dagupan City and Manila Bay.]
Walking down country road amidst fruit-laden macopa trees and
fields of cauliflower with my kind of people.
Experiencing
paradise, the joys of nature, and hot summer love.
There is indeed
a lot of throwback going on in my mind … aaaahhhhh summer!
Blame it on the wet mornings (as shown below; view from my front door), flooded afternoons, stormy nights
or flooded mornings, stormy afternoons, wet nights and complete with claps of
thunder and flashes of lightning. They are more than enough to make me long for
these times when the weather was hot.
VIVA VIGAN
Surely
you know that Vigan is the complete summer package. My parents are from this vibrant
city/province and our summers have always been highlighted by trips to our
hometowns – specifically in Santa Catalina, where dad’s ancestral home is; and
San Vicente, my mom’s. (Both municipalities were part of Vigan before it became
a city.)
Posing in front of the old San Vicente house are my my mom's brother Uncle Efren with his first-born, Laila. It has been redesigned as a bungalow but still with its rustic backyard complete with a hammock. The other photos show me with my friends and business partners Charity, Apple and Lea during our visit there in February last year.
I even lived with my paternal grandparents from age three until
I moved back with my parents in Manila at age nine. The following photo is my Lelang (what we call our grandmom)
lighting a brown Alhambra cigar while lounging in her butaka, a wicker chair with a long armrest.
The house in San Vicente was made of wood, nipa for roof, and bamboo
for the stairs. Unlike the house in Santa Catalina which is a stone house.
Photo below shows the veranda of the house; it is not so visible but on top of
the front door is a signage that says ABOGADOS -- both my dad and his younger brother,
Uncle Ben, are lawyers – and this is not really bragging; this is more of a
tradition announcing the profession of people who live there. The other photo was taken in our backyard with
childhood friends Junie, Loi and Toti and cousin Luis. Our backyard was planted by my Lelong with all kinds of fruit-bearing trees and some common flowers.
childhood friends Junie, Loi and Toti and cousin Luis. Our backyard was planted by my Lelong with all kinds of fruit-bearing trees and some common flowers.
Posing in front of the old San Vicente house are my my mom's brother Uncle Efren with his first-born, Laila. It has been redesigned as a bungalow but still with its rustic backyard complete with a hammock. The other photos show me with my friends and business partners Charity, Apple and Lea during our visit there in February last year.
I have written about Vigan in an earlier post [Up
North & Personal, July 2012] after my February visit but that was more like a
narrative which could have been written by a tourist.
Majority of my summers have been spent here and even if I never
got to any place in my lifetime, it would have been enough.
I would not
have missed the beaches of Boracay and Bali and the Mediterranean. I would not
have been alien to nature and rural life at its best as well as World Heritage
Sites and history right before my eyes.
[And that’s me trying on a salakot
in one of the souvenir shops along
the famous cobblestone street of Vigan when my waistline was only 23 inches. The next one shows my daughters and I with my mom and niece Wanna in the same street at another time. Lower photos were taken by now New
York-based cousin Luis of the old street minus the souvenir shops and before it
was declared a World Heritage Site; and the Quirino Bridge which upon seeing
made us all excited because we know that we will now be entering the city of
Vigan and the day-long traveling is over. The last one was taken at the Imme]
I would not have been ignorant of majestic centuries-old churches and God’s natural creation (read: flora and fauna).
And I have bragging rights because where I come from, we practically have everything for a grand vacation, including good food – the much-loved bagnet (photo below was taken at the Hidden Garden complete with a KBL sauce or kamatis, bagoong and lasona, Ilocano word for onion), empanada, bibingka, bolero and longganiza, to name a few. The next photo was taken several years back in front of an old house/souvenir shop located at the side street of the cobblestone walk where we had our genuine Ilocano lunch which they also serve.
Growing up,
pursuing careers, parenthood (photo below shows me when my daughters were
already in high school) and so many milestones in between, the province of
Ilocos Sur will always be the great summer place for me, my family, and even
friends who once or twice have joined us and, who until now, would want to go
back.
CHURCH TOUR
Speaking
of churches and because the Holy Week always falls during the summer months and
there’s no going to the beach – whether in Vigan or some other place – unless we
do our Stations of the Cross in seven of them. My mom made sure of
that.
For the longest
time, we prayed in the two churches of my parents’ hometown and, of course, in
those around Vigan. Eventually, we ventured into the churches of Laoag in
Ilocos Norte.
[Here are photos of us posing beside the Santa Catalina church’s
bell after the tower was destroyed by a
strong typhoon sometime in the 1990s; and at the Bell Tower in Bantay, which is
almost always one of our first stopovers – the other one is the beach in
Narvacan – before entering the city of
Vigan. Both photos were taken in the late 1990s. Next – taken in February last
year – are the St. Paul Cathedral in Vigan; the newly-painted church in San
Vicente; and a panoramic shot of Bantay’s Bell Tower and the St. Augustine Church
beside it, now renamed Shrine of Our Lady of Charity.]
But, of course,
there are special treats after. A glass of halo-halo
and/or crunchy empanada and/or bibingka. Until now, the concoction in
Santa Catalina made by an aunt of a classmate in grade school, is the best with
melon strips and really creamy milk.
Holy
Week always meant praying the Passion of Christ. Even if we didn’t go home,
this family tradition continued even if both parents have gone up to heaven.
Even if some siblings can no longer join, my sister Patty and I go on with it
year after year; sister Maleck would sometimes tag along.
We have visited
quite a lot of churches all over, well at least in Luzon. But hands down, the
churches in my beloved Vigan and Laoag in Ilocos Norte are the most beautiful.
I am not biased.
However, I would like to make special mention of some churches
in Bulacan (one of those we visited had this intricate door and we posed in
front of it; Mom is still with us here and daughter Pee Ann was home for a
visit), Batangas, Tagaytay, Pangasinan (the Iglesia
Parroquial de San Pedro y San Pablo or better known as the Calasiao Church
is Old World beautiful; and chanced upon this old bell at its backyard), La
Union and, of course, Metro Manila, which are too many to mention …
It
is now my ardent wish that these churches stay exactly the way they are, a
major quake forbidding!
LIFE’S A BEACH!
Until
now, my idea of a perfect summer getaway must have a combination of sun, sand
and sea. Both our ancestral homes are near the beach and exciting memories
include walking down country road towards it.
The surf’s high
and the sand dunes are beautiful, like black smooth carpets.
Those times we can’t go home, we opted for beaches in Batangas,
Pangasinan and La Union. One time, we tried an exclusive resort in Botolan,
Bataan, where the movie Paano Kita
Iibigin starring Piolo Pascual and Regine Velasquez was shot (photo shows
some of the girls in the family enjoying the cool blue waters and reliving the scenes between
Piolo and Regine).
[The following are some souvenir shots from Puerto Azul : that’s
me, my daughters and my drowsy inaanak ,
Kim, with the orange-y sunset for a background; another one -- still with the sunset – are brother Abe
and sisters-in-law Ofel, carrying niece Jam, and Lenlen with son and my inaanak, too, Jet. Of course, my photography doesn’t do justice
to the real beauty of the sunset.]
But let me make it clear that when it comes to my family, it’s
not the place, it’s the people. Of course, we enjoyed swimming, which is actually
the birthday celebration of the first grandson in the family, Marcus, who
turned eight, and bonding and eating and drinking and picture-taking and as
shown below …
The Sting sings
“why did summer go so quickly? …” and I join him but rephrasing the rest of the
lyrics: “I haven’t even walked along the shore to leave my footprints in the
sand …”
Drama Queen.
Drama Queen.
BALI HIGH
My
grand summer of 2011 started in Bali, Indonesia. Daughter Pee Ann and boyfriend
Alex were visiting from Canada and we – my mom, daughter Ghiselle, their dad,
and Pee Ann’s best friend Aiza – met up with them there.
One thing I like about Bali is a pervading spirituality brought
about by its interesting and intriguing temples and the ceremonial floral offerings
which are practically everywhere.
Their everyday
seems to be made up of rituals.
Our tour guide,
Palos, informed us that these floral offerings are there to appease the
spirits. Specifically, he added, it is a display of Balinese belief that people
and spirits should be in harmony.
Some of the temples, on the other hand, are there to guard Bali
from evil spirits, including one of those we visited, the Uluwatu Temple located at
the edge of a cliff above the Indian Ocean. It is also inhabited by monkeys and
I’m not sure why we have to be properly dressed before them because, at the
entrance, we were given sarongs and sashes to wear.
Such monkeys are notorious for getting stuff from tourists. While
there, one monkey snatched a bottle of orange juice from a tourist; and
threatened to grab Richard’s camera.
Another
interesting temple is the Tanah Lot which sits in a large rock
formation and has a spring whose water is believed to have healing powers.
We went through the ritual and they put rice in our foreheads and inserted a kalachuchi between our ears.
Palos told us that Hinduism is the religion of about 80% of
Balinese although 90% of Indonesia is Muslim.
Of course, the
beach we visited which is just across Kuta Seaview Boutique Hotel & Spa
where we stayed is much like home. Ghiselle and Alex got a pro to teach them
how to surf. They both
got the hang of it after a few body flips and flops and not
without a bruise in the knee. But they had great photo-ops! [This is a shot by Ghiselle's dad...]
Pee Ann, Aiza and I managed to simply play with the huge waves
and got thrown every which way while trying to stand on the surfboard. Pee Ann
was able to strike a pose while his dad holds the surfboard at its tail. And
that’s me after the surfboard slipped on my feet or maybe Richard didn’t hold
the tail the way he did with his daughter. Hahaha!
After a while, we accepted our fate and contented ourselves with
posing by the shore clutching the surfboard. By the way, do you clutch a
surfboard?
And made jump shots on the beach while Ghiselle and Alex ride
the surf.
Mom, who didn’t want the scorching sun contented herself
watching from the sidelines – and smiling at us from afar – comfortably seated
in a plastic chair by the beach – with
dark sunglasses and a matching buri hat! … Hahaha!
Other memorable
moments in this beautiful place include
… Watching an
interesting play with Rama and Sita as the main characters; the all-men choir
was amazingly in harmony. We just had to have a souvenir picture with one of the major actors ...
…
Checking out the market which buzzed with overeager vendors and being impressed
with the arts and crafts and those chili peppers in all shapes and colors …
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… A taste of really spicy grilled squid that we had to go to a
nearby McDonald’s kiosk for a chocolate sundae to ease our almost painfully
sizzling tongues and their famous babi
guling [that's Pee Ann's collage of the rice meal with it] which is like our lechon but
our lechon is better …
… Dinner at The Cuisine, overlooking the Jimbaran
Beach and that’s Ghiselle posing with the dancers performing in a stage
by the beach …
… And capping a
day-long tour with a can (cans?) of Bintang Beer.
At the end of our vacation, I wanted to bring home the sea and its beautiful sunset, the chair
with a foot stool in my hotel room, the bright orange flowers of birds of
paradise at the hotel lobby. But, of course, they’re just empty wishes. I know
I will miss the place and everything we experienced here.
Bali was the last trip my daughters and I had with my mom. Barely
two months after, she joined her Maker. And we will forever remember her candid
poses in front of the temples and by the hotel pool. Her funny comments about
women her age wearing two-piece bathing suits and baring too much flesh. Even
her tie-dyed pants and the buri hat she wore as we walked down the streets of
Kuta Bali. And that smile that she gives us – endearing, sometimes mischievous,
always full of love.
GOING
UNDERGROUND
Their
drumbeaters are telling the truth, Palawan is indeed a paradise.
When we (my
mom, my daughters, and Pee Ann’s boyfriend Alex) visited such paradise in the
summer of 2009, we went to Puerto Princesa Underground River straight from the
airport. And it was a start of great things to come.
We stayed at the Crystal Paradise Resort and we had a blast!
It’s impossible
not to. We were right in the middle of nature at its best. Our villa has a
direct access to the ocean, so blue and so calm. And we have a private pool and
a Jacuzzi all to ourselves. And the resort is surrounded by lush greenery. [Oh, how I wish I was more prolific in describing places but just look at the photos below.]
We also had an island, Isla Arena, all to ourselves – save
for a couple, a businessman from Scotland with one of the petite local girls –
and the ocean was simply refreshing. We rubbed elbows with sea turtles that came
to nest and lay their eggs in the island. We even had the chance to set some newly
hatched baby turtles into the open sea.
As the vacation ended, I wanted to, once more, bring home the
sea, a few baby turtles and the villa with just the swimming pool.
Again empty wishes but I was hoping we can always go back and
stay in the same resort and choose the same villa. Too bad, Mom won’t be able
to join us this time, but I’m sure she’ll be there in spirit.
ICE CREAM &
MEM’RIES
As
a teenager, the summer months are very much welcome as it coincides with school
break. There is more time to hang out with friends and with family, too as my
dad would plan out weekend treats for us.
Most of such memorable
treats include weekend swimming at the Balara compound of pools in different
shapes and depths and a refreshing feast of ice cream at the Magnolia House
along Aurora Boulevard.
The Magnolia House likewise became a favorite hangout for
friends in the neighborhood [we lived in Malindang Street in Laloma, Quezon
City, near Mayon Street]. If Bong’s batman car or Junie’s small Toyota Corolla weren’t
available, we’d take a jeepney plying the Mayon route, go down at the Welcome
Rotunda, cross the street and ride another jeepney, this time going to Cubao,
which would pass along Aurora Boulevard and the Magnolia Ice Cream House at the
corner of Hemady Street.
In
between scoops of Peach Melba, Banana Split, Strawberry Parfait, Brown Derby
and my favorite Blueberry Parfait, we had great fun being together, laughing at
our silly jokes, making love teams of some of us and all those crazy things
teenagers of our time do when they hang out.
More than the refreshing cold treats, there was great family
bonding with Mom and Dad loosening up a bit. Both busy with their careers on
weekdays, they made sure we had something special on weekends and this is one
of them.
And
if we weren’t having ice cream, Dad would plan out a trip to Balara and swim
the hot day away. Mom would cook and
pack our lunch and we’d bring bottles of softdrinks and beer for Dad and we’re
ready to go.
There were picnic areas but it was at the ampitheater where we
always settled.
After swimming,
we’d go to the playground, try out the swings and seesaws and simply run in the
grass and enjoy every single minute.
I know that
Balara has been rebuilt recently and it has become what it was before – a city
destination for family outings or day picnics.
Well, this generation should experience it, too.
The old
Magnolia Ice Cream House, on the other hand, has likewise been revived in the
same place and is now called the Magnolia Flavor House and the entire compound including
where the Magnolia Plant used to be at the back is now the Robinsons Place
Magnolia.
I found this photo of the old Magnolia ice cream parlor in the online
page of Maximus Aurelius and I still remember how green and
well-manicured its front lawn was. The next photos ares my shot of the new one
which we visited in September last year during cousin Luis’ visit. It looks
entirely different – although the green grassy lawn is still there – but it felt
good being back in a place with so many memorable moments. The ice cream is
tasty and exactly how it has always been. Grandson Marcus and his Lolo Sonny enjoy their parfaits; and Luis
and I pose by the fountain.
Sometime in the 1990s, the old Magnolia House converted its
grassy lawn into a kids’ wonderland and I didn’t pass that chance to introduce
my little daughters to this memorable place. I told them that this is one of my teenage
life’s important locations. I’m not sure though if they understood at that
time. One thing is certain, they enjoyed being in that wonderland.
***
And so I’m done
reminiscin’ for today. Too bad Ondoy drenched,
discolored and drowned most of our older summer pictures, including those taken
in Vigan. But then memories are best remembered by the heart – more vivid than
any printed picture can elucidate.
But, if I may
say, life is one big summer for me. Despite the rains and all its wetness, I
always keep a sunny disposition, a bright perspective, a positive vibe.
Now it’s time
to get into the spirit of Christmas. I also have lots of memories from past
Christmases but I intend to make new ones this season.
Don’t worry,
there won’t be a throwback …
We also had an island, Isla Arena, all to ourselves – save
for a couple, a businessman from Scotland with one of the petite local girls –
and the ocean was simply refreshing. We rubbed elbows with sea turtles that came
to nest and lay their eggs in the island. We even had the chance to set some newly
hatched baby turtles into the open sea.
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