I took a La Mallorca bus (?) on my way back to Asingan. It made a stopover in Tarlac at the old Pantranco station. Only there is no more Pantranco. In the old days there was a multi garage for Pantranco bus arrivals that would afford a break for the travel weary passengers. A multi purpose building have taken the place of that garage. I checked the inside and it looked quite different. It has an airconditioned dining room, some CRs ( again you have to pay ) a take - out counter selling baked goods. They carry the many types of bread I used to buy before in Dagupan. One was the spiral bread, round in shape with lots of butter and sugar on it called ENSAYMADA. People in North America would abhor these snacks: "Too much fat and too much sugar," they would say. Amazingly enough, Filipinos thrive on those "forbidden" snacks and even those foods with high salt content like Lingayen Bagoong, Aramang Guisado or the sliced pork bellies then fried to extract the pork fat..We save the "sitsaron" to be eaten dipped in vinegar or cooked with Pinakbet. I love the pork fat when I was young. I mixed it with newly cooked rice then sprinkle it with a bit of bagoong. I could not get enough of it.Even now I still buy pork bellies in the Asian market in Weston near my house. I extract the fat, eat the sitsaron but the taste of fresh Philippine pork is not there.
The snack vendors in Tarlac were still there. Some roamed around carrying a clear plastic bag chocked with packaged SITSARON. The vendor has also a bottle of seasoned vinegar attached to his belt. The sight of the sitsaron, followed by a glimpse of the vinegar would set your salivary glands in motion. Too bad I soon have to go back to my bus..All buses are now parked in the grounds and you have to remember your bus number if you plan to get out for a break. If not, you will find yourself up shit creek without a paddle. The buses all look alike and sometimes they shift places to make room for new arrivals.. I wrote the number in the palm of my hand. I got antsy when I heard a bus roaring, ready to take off because sometimes the dispatcher do not announce the departure of a certain bus...
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I know we were already close to Urdaneta when the bus stopped at the end of a long line of vehicles as far as the eyes can see. North American motorists won't know the meaning of Traffic Jam until they would see this line up. The bottleneck is in that crossroad one going to Dagupan in the West and another to Baguio on the North.No diversion road yet.Maybe an overpass, sure, but no one likes to build it!! For purposes of comparison,it might take you say, half-an-hour to traverse a distance of 40 kilometers along the clear highway, but once you get near Urdaneta it would take you sometimes 2 hours to travel 4 kilometers. At least that's what happened to me then..I keep texting my sister every 15 minutes least they would think I was not coming home yet..Text messages flew back and forth until I reached the site of old movie theatre owned by the businessman Mr. Okol...Then I hopped off the bus and started walking. It took me some more time reaching the Magic Mall..There was a barricade, a high fence in the middle of the 2 - lane main street.I can not jay walk to the other side because of the high fence. I guess they put the barrciade up to prevent some motorists ( except the bus lines ) to make a U turn whenever they feel like doing it! While walking, I had to deal with the humidity, the sun's heat the unruly crowd with persons who loved stepping on my shoes. Gawrsh, where did all these people came from? I asked myself while stepping aside to avoid a tricycle which was about to hit my ass.
Finally I reached the mall. I kept using the cell phone text to guide my bearings..I entered Jolli Bee, a well-known hamburger joint..No Ester in sight..I texted again.."Am here in Jolli Bee..cant see you!" I was at the end of my patience..Just then I heard a shout: "Over here! over here!" The place was packed like a sardine can and they were on a far corner table waving their hands like crazy!!---##
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