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Wednesday, February 1, 2006

FEEDBACK FROM ANNIE RE: BALIKBAYAN MEMORIES

The Rodriguez Store you mentioned in your journal today are operated by my cousins.That one in front of your house is run by Rizaline Yapjoco and the other store close to the market (must be the Mother Store )is under Eugene (  Jing) Macanlalay.

Their mother  is my father's sister and I was with them most of the time as a part time employee when those 2 girls were in  college in Baguio. I had to stay and  tended their store. Payday for the Asingan teachers was usually busy because they came in  to cash  their checks and I  was just by myself in the "cash register" which is just a  tiny calculator and piece of paper.  

While they were  expanding,  I had to check  the incoming deliveries to the store and mind the customers who came to pick up their groceries. Sometimes I picked up a sack of sugar with the help of the  tricycle driver and throw it at the back of their  carrier.

Those were the days I spent with  them.I was then  widowed at an early age and then I lost my grandmother the following year.Their mother acted as my mother/grandmother and their father was also my baptismal Ninong. Their parents also stood up as the foster parents of my daughter and the sisters acted as their sister. That's how close we are and  at that time. At present, they are the ones watching my father as he also  has to close his tiny store at 5:00pm  and he goes  to  them to help  out . .

Keep posting and I am enjoying it.  

Regards.  

Respectfully, Annie C Cano

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Hi Annie,  

Gee, your feed backs really are just as interesting as my entries, I did not know they are your cousins; next time I take a holiday, I will surely mention you to them..I do not know who was at the cash register at that time and if I am not mistaken, they are already using electronic cash registers.

When I entered the store, my grandnephews would suddenly be behind me and I was so happy to buy snacks for them. (Marlon, Ailene and Jasmine) I feel like I was with Emma and Mia, my grandkids here in Toronto. While inside the store, I always ask what they want and they would just smile ( Nahihiya siguro ) Then I will be the one to pick up the good stuff, esp. if I am familiar with the brand.

I picked up one time some Pringles. In Asingan at that time it cost 65 pesos..I do not think ordinary kids would buy that for snacks otherwise they would get ____ from their parents. They said they never tasted Pringles yet, and my heart just melted.

I bought more than one package for them and we ate them in our house. Marlon is about 10, Jasmine is 8 and Aileen is still in kinder. That is the "magic age" for kids when they are so sweet, innocent, cute and unihibited. I also bought them HI-RO cookies, the equivalent of our OREO though it does not taste as good. Plus the Sunflakes which had been around in Asingan for ages.

I really miss them at this time. Their Mom really made a big sacrifice leaving them (Marlon and Aileen) for Saudi, but it was a good chance to earn some money, which eventually, will be for the family.--#  

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