From Annie:
Of all the friends I've ever met,
You're the one I won't forget.
And if I die
Before you do
I'll go to heaven
And wait for you
I'll give the angels
Back their wings
And risk the loss
Of everything
Just to prove
My friendship is true
I'm thankful to have
Family and Friends like you!
-ooOOoo-
Against my better judgement, I went out again to my usual haunts. But first, I made some fried rice out of the leftovers from yesterday then took out a frozen Tinapang bangus so it will defrost until I come back.Asian Farm near our house ( not beside it but around 10 minutes walk ) has lots of Filipino products including frozen bangus, tilapia, suman, tosino etc. Once in a while they sell PINKA but they call it Belt Fish..I planned to fry the tinapang bangus when I get home. Many enterprenuers in the Philippines are making quite some money supplying Oriental stores in Canada with food products. I still prefer to eat food and canned goods marked Made in the Philippines. You know the saying Tangkilikin ang Sariling Atin..*
It was a nice day yesterday..Didnt take much photos; once I get into BMV beside the World's Biggest Bookstore, I forget evrything.
I went home at around 4:00 pm..Dont want to be with the crowd of working stiffs coming out from their cubicles on their way home; too many of them are stressed out, ill tempered and ready to kick butts with no warning!--#
"I have to admit that I like this city as well otherwise I wouldn't be going there almost every month if I didnt. Toronto is a very nice and clean city. Very easy to navigate, lots of restaurants..theaters..a small version of New York or Chicago with a very clean subway!
There are 2 things that I dont like in there though...traffic ( they have got to limit trucks in the express lanes!) and that it's a bit of a bedroom city..stores close so early most especially in the weekends...hu-hummm.
Toronto has one great attraction though..my girlfriend lives there.
More power Toronto."
gm4teen
***********
Thank you!! I have not been to Chicago but I will surely visit it too this summer..The shops close early here in T.O., but the clubs don't..Some 5 star Hotels have clubs that cater to the younger people and they do have the kind of music you like to dance with, plus you are sure the security is good.There are other clubs but I suggest you read the reviews of such places in the weekly free newspapers that come out every Thursday when the week end is a day away!
.There are also the live theatres..THE LORD OF THE RINGS the musical have just opened last week to a mixed review..Meaning it is not unanimously good or bad. Personally, I dont wanna see it..Saw the 3 movies, bought the 3 extended version DVDs ( havent seen all of them ). And who would imagine Golium singing a song right there in the mountains of ( whats the name again?).
Shopping here is good..Prices are way below US $ prices..Try Sherway Gardens, Yorkdale Plaza, Woodbridge Mall and of course the Yonge/Dundas square..Go down into the Atrium underground, follow the signs marked PATH and later, you will go up some stairs and you will find yourself in Union station..A few blocks more and you will find the waterfront area ..As of now, it is cold, but comes summer, man the place will be teeming with people who come to watch live bands, dances, acrobats..all for free!
Come and see us again okay?..Thank you!!
One photograph is worth a thousand words, one writer said. Then another writer said "but it takes words to say this statement, isn't it?"
Well, it is a classic example of one statement killing another, if you get my drift..
Anyways, these photo are from my collection of old stuff..Taken in Asingan during a 1999 trip..
More will follow. Found lots of them, which I never published on the web yet..Can't do it in one sitting cause it is a bitch scanning photographs ( unlike working with modern day digital shots), if you get my drift...
We arrived in Dagupan early in the afternoon during that December 2003 trip. We proceeded to a multistoreyed building named MARIO HUFANA BUILDING. It is owned by Dr. Mario Hufana, the brother of Atty Fe Hufana who specializes in Orthopedic Surgery.He has an office at 16240 Paramount Boulevard Suite H, Paramount, California, and another one at 9325 East Slauson Avenue, Pico Rivera, same State. Manong Mario, as Miguelita calls him, comes to the Philippines very often. He has also a condominium in Makati.
The building was the site of the former residence of Mr. and Mrs. Mariano Hufana a very successful businessman during his time. I visited the old house when I Miguelita and I were just married, then again when we were about to immigrate to Canada.
As soon as we got settled down, I explored the living room a bit. I saw a very nice-looking piano there and checked it for tuning. It was still fine.
"Can you play something for us?" asked Manang Fe. "Sure". I would play it at the drop of a hat anywhere if allowed. I started with a series of Filipino folk songs. Then the ladies started humming or singing. Soon I felt useful, and there was also music in the air.
Well, Manang Fe was quite a music enthusiast. She requested me to play continuously which I did and titles just popped into my head and I played them one by one. I play piano by memory ( some call it playing by ear -oido- which is okay as long as your left hand plays the correct chords!). I even played songs I learned in the Elementary years like WHEN I GROW TO BE A LADY, NENA'S LULLABYE ( Sleep my Darling Baby ), DANDANSOY. Oh I enjoyed myself and lost track of the time. Soon it was dark and it was suppertime!
Manang Fe our amiable host ordered some take out food from her favorite restaurant. During the interlude and we sat down at the table, I saw my favorite dish CAMARON REBOSADO made with big shrimps and PANCIT GUISADO cooked Dagupan style.Plus some other dainty dishes. You know once in a while in Toronto, I dream of visiting Dagupan entering one of the Panciterias, ordering something succulent then wake up just as I am about to eat. That really sucks! But when I sat down that afternoon, I found that it was not a dream. The food was real! Manang Fe also ordered a couple of jumbo sized Coke.She knows that food tastes better with Coke.
Wow, after I stood up from the table, I knew how a Thanksgiving turkey felt! Stuffed like a pillow! As soon as I can, I was urged to play some more. While we were singing, they placed some suman and sliced Philippine mangoes on the table. What an afternoon!
Then somebody texted me. It was my sister Ester. They have just parked down below in front of the building. It was night and they could not see the building sign. I ran 3 floors down fast They came to pick us up although Manang Fe wanted us also to spend the night there.
I rushed back and told her we had to go. She was talking on a long distance line with her sister Alice. I just waved good-bye, she did the same. She told us to come back again. Months after, she also sent us a card repeating her invite..
Inside the air conditioned Toyota which was rented for a trip to the governor's palace ( Gov. Agbayani ) for his birthday party we talked about what transpired during the last 48 hours. Oh they had also a good time at the Pangasinan Capitolio. But I bet they did not have the kind of music and food we just had!--#
There is already a diversion road that eases the traffic that go from Urdaneta to Dagupan.. So this time(2003), we did not pass through that bridge in Sta Barbara just like the way it was in the old days.It is situated on an elevated ( like a hill ) terrain. One could see this elevation from a distance so one gets ready for the upward climb then the downward plunge. Like a roller coaster. Passing through this part of Sta. Barbara during the old days especially during a sunny morning gives one a panoramic view of the countryside when you are atop the short bridge..Tree-patched fields, a river cutting across the field ( this river passes through Urdaneta beside the old Pantranco station ). A bridge near the Rain Forest resort in Urdaneta spans also over this river as it flows to join some other tributaries..
After this high bridge, the next town to anticipate would be Sta. Barbara..I remember the old church walls beside the road.They were made of red bricks and some were decoratively positioned so as to make the walls look nice. The road turns right( if you want to go to Dagupan )..Or you go straight if you want to drop by the church. I think I dropped by the church convento before one time with Fr. Jose Ferrer. I remember the huge doors made of solid wood..It has the same look and feel like the convento in Urdaneta. High walls. Dark passages. You expect Dr. Jose Rizal or some other characters out of the Spanish era to come out and greet you in Spanish.
As you proceed to Dagupan ( we are now talking about the old route ) past by the Sta. Barbara church, then you pass by more shops and market stalls. Then somehow, those stalls dissapear and the scenery again changed into rice fields and ocassional Bahay Kubos ( Nipa Huts ) along the way. Some of these have stores in their first floor. But the huts are made of no strong materials: bamboo, grass stitched together to form a roof..These formed very cool rooms inside ( even if the temperature outside is 90 C ) plus the fact that the floors are made of split bamboo. The ground under the rooms sometimes had bamboo beds ( papag) for taking a nap, plowing utensils, goats and the farmers best friend, the carabao.
It is called water buffalo in some parts of Asia but here abouts they are called locally KALABAW or NU-ANG. The meat was called slangily ( oh yes, Filipinos have lots of slang words too in their local dialect ) Nuang-kik..I heard my brother call it one time they were served carbao's meat mixed with vegetables. By luck, the meat they got was so tough that it is like chewing leather sole. Either chew it like a gum and spitting the meat afterwards without the hostess seeing you or swallow it and risk constipation. Take a look out of the window and you will see a live carabao out there, hitched on a post or on a tree.. Maybe they have just eaten his mother.
It is said that the carbao has no upper teeth. But it is always chewing something or the jaws are moving in a chewing fashion. It is very patient, docile and it could look at you with those lucid eyes and you could not forget that stare for as long as you live..!. Flies and some other bugs are always flying about his back. But he could easily flick those pests with a swift movement of his tail which looks like a lions tail only the color is black like the skin. The tail seems to come out of a skin covered round hole just above his ass. Two holes in one spot, awright! He also uses his long tongue to clean his nostrils.Okay, back to the road trip..
The road takes another left turn..You are in civilization again..Why? You see a big Coca Cola plant ( if it is still there ) when you are already close to the next town which is Calasiao.I remember lots of palm trees in this town. Then you cross a railroad track with no crossing bars.This is where the MRR coach pass by from Manila to Dagupan and sometimes up to San Fabian. .So you have to stop, get down, look on both sides, go back to the driver seat then resume driving. Quite a pain in the butt, right?
There were a few Spanish houses just before you get before the church area. Then turn right and you are just a few kilometers away from Dagupan. The diversion road joins in at this part of the highway ( still called McArthur Highway in honor of the famous American General in WW II ). Oh yeah, I think there was a big and fancy massage parlor in this part of Calasiao. The massajistas offered a kind of body rub which some people call the rub and tug.. Fortunately ( or unfortunately depending on your point of view ) this joint was destroyed by the big earthquake in '91 (?)..Pity. Lots of workers lost their jobs. And in the Philippines, there is no such thing as an Unemployment Insurance.--#
I received a few photos of Arsenio Macanas, a writer-contributor to our Journal. A few of his stories made us all smile..Keep on blogging/writing, Arsenio. We might make a humour writer out of you yet...
Congratulations to your son Beian. Happy to hear he is one of the gifted students. A chip off the old ( or not so old ) block?--#
I have enjoyed reading your memories of Dagupan.I was born in the 60s so mine is probably different from yours slightly but I would like to know if you still remember the park in front of the city hall,do you remember those mermaid sculpture there and those benches made of concrete.Was there a Jose Rizal monument there too. And do you have any picture of the old Dagupan including the old market with those zabala school supply shop.
Just to let you know I have enjoyed reading your diaries,and i don't know if you had finish your diary when you went to pampanga.I'll be looking.
Comment from jaganie - 17/03/06 12:59 PM
I do remember the beautiful park in front of the old Municipio.I can not remember the statue of Rizal. There was a story that he came to Dagupan to look for his love Leonor Rivera in this city. Leonor loved him but her relatives thought Rizal was too much of a "rebel"so they thought of breaking up the love affair by hiding her in Dagupan.Of course, they underestimated Rizal's mind and will power. He was able to track her down..Must have been an interesting meeting if ever it took place...She became the model of Rizal's Maria Clara while he became Crisostomo Ibarra in his famous novel THE SOCIAL CANCER..I wonder if the Rivera street in downtown was named after her too..
Yes, there was a concrete mermaid and there were also thingies with wheels on 'em..can't remember exactly what they were, trains?cars? I forgot already..But the plants were well-kept and it was a pride of the old Dagupan..Then there was the water tank; a HUGE round building that was seen all over the city..It was painted orange, got windows in em..and I never had the chance the go up there before the great earthquake..
Sorry I was not able to take some photos of this landmark and of the other places in the old city. Example is the old Pantranco station near the corner of Arellano and Torres Bugallon: This is one of the busiest hubs in Dagupan before because all the Pantranco busses would eventually meet in this spot.
There was a small side street that one walks out of and it would bring you to the main street. Lots of shops on each side. Then comes the bridge. More shops all the way until the Municipal Building. I remember the Ang Ka Tong, Tia Juana, then the small electronic shop that sold 45 rpm records, then restaurants,..Yes I do remember Zabala School supplies also Agsalud, I think..My favorite snack then was the Dagupan's roasted peanuts with lots of garlic and a peculiar taste that the taste buds do not forget.Vendors spoke in Pangasinan dialect ( now a days most of them speak Tagalog ) ..Sometimes it is the sound of the dialect that gives the certain air and distinction of the city..The language sounds unlike any other; so when I hear it, my mind forms images of my childhood glimpses of old Dagupan--#
Annie says:
These were some of Marianne's pictures and most of them were on the camcorder.She has her own camera but i will still have to figure out how to download to my PC.
She wants to go back ( to that fun place )for she still has a ticket for 2 until November.I'll wait and see how they (Martin and Marianne) will use it.Can't ride the rollercoaster anymore and he wants to.
***
Roller coasters are fun. Just bring a barf bag just in case..:)
The photo above would show how small the crawlspace would be for the would-be Magicians. but since they were still Grade 3 pupils, I guess it won't be a problem to them!
I studied here for 4 years. Our text book then in Grade 1 was Pepe and Pilar. "I am Pepe, I am a little boy.." There was a dog too, named Bantay. What a name for a mutt, but then if you analyze the meaning of Bantay, then it makes a little sense. Bantay means "guard". The dog is supposed to guard the house.That is if he survived the first critical years of his life...
The next book was entitled Pepe and Pilar Went to the City. The first editions of these Primers were printed in glossy paper and in color, manufactured in the US maybe..Years later, they were printed from plates made from Xerox copies. Pepe started to have blackheads on his face due to poor xerox reproduction. Then the school system abolished the teaching of English in Grade 1. Good bye Pepe, goodbye Pilar..It was nice while it lasted..The Pilipino Language was adapted..Then came the Taglish ( mixture of English and Tagalog ) used by a national newspaper at one time..Education was definitely going down hill..Then came the cell phones..Who cares about correct spelling anymore? Then came the internet and a few would insist writing their messages the same way they write their text phones..They think it is so cool and smart, not asinine and stupid.
Cell phones are a boost to faster communication, but a bane to general education!---#
by Arsenio Macanas
I was in the 3rd grade at South Central Elementary School. This is the routine schedule from our school before. After our morning class we had to go home for lunch break then back for the afternoon class. My mom was always mad at me because I was always in a rush eating my lunch and running back to school too early. She said, "Why you are always in a rush? There is nobody in school yet at 12:00 noon.!!" I wonder if the schedules are still the same? It was 7:30 am to 11:00 am then 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm.. . Well, anyway here is the reason why I was so early to go to school after lunch! And I was not the earliest.. Some of my classmates were there already waiting for me to initiate the hype..
It's about the gnome, or dwarf (local name: ansisit-pronounced AN- SI-SIT). I didn't know where the rumor came from. It said that there is a gnome who lived under the school building. It is a very kind one and at noon he would come out from this cave under the school building to give out treasures and magical powers ( ANTING-ANTING).. If you are a kid and you heard that kind of stuff, what will you do? Of course you will be suckered in! This is what we did, we started at the back of the school building and crawling until we reached the bunton (a termite house or cave) closed to the front stage. We were waiting for the gnome to come out from the cave until the school bell rang to start the afternoon class.( The school building has a very tight crawl space between the earth and the floor and there all kinds of garbage were thrown in there!)
This is also a very popular story at taht time.. Did you hear about the poinsettia leaves that would turn into a money or gold coins? We kids buried the leaves beside the gnome house ( the termite hill or bunton as it is locally known ) and waited for a week believing it will turn into to money. It never happened of course, and but we kids kept on continuing our foolishness. Kid stuff you know!
I was so crazy about the anting anting ( or Talisman). One time I went to the school very early and I crawled down there alone to check. I was thinking probably the gnome will come out if I am alone.Then I fell asleep or maybe just a nap while waiting. Then I was wakened by my cousin Ruben and his friend Boy. (My cousin Ruben and his friend were 2 years older than me but they were also crazy about the myth). I turned back my head and saw other school kids crawling to join me. Sometimes we, the boys would to scare the girls, by screaming out loud at the same time then crawling back out very fast and the girls screamed like this,"eeeehhhhh!!!" That was a lot of fun. The girls thought we saw something scary!
If you are from South Central School during this time you should know the myth. Mrs. Norma Esperon Butuyan was then my 3rd grade teacher. I remember when she was trying to scare and discourage us not to go under the school building. But we didn't care. All we cared about then is to get that anting-anting.!--#
from ARSENIO:
... I had these ( the comic books ) until I grew up to be a teenager. My mom kept it in our wood case ( baul) together with my dad's old FREE PRESS magazines that were published before the Martial Law. That's my mom's hobby I think, she loves to collect magazines and paperbacks. But all of those has been gone with the wind LITERALLY! Remember the typhoon Kading in early 1970? Yeah, it soaked them with H20!!
***
Gee, Kading must have turned them back to pulp! "From pulp thou art to pulp thou returnest.." Sad! But it is not as sad as using them for kindling wood or reading them while waiting for the shit to come out and when it is out, one used them as toilet paper!
****
from ANNIE,
I was just trying to e-mail you when your e-mail popped out on my screen.Yeah,these are the kinds our patrons young and old alike, love to check out nowadays .Hardback, paperback or comics look alike.Garfield and other cartoon characters are nothing compared to those kind when circulation counts.Those kind of graphic stories never go out of fashion, and I guess it will pass from one generation to the next.
Here is my entry, a feedback on your comic books article. Thank you!
I had those kinds of comic books when I was a kid, maybe different titles, but imported from America.. I got them from my mom's relative in Manila when we visited her aunt (she was married to a brother of Leroy Salvador of the Salvador Family; ) the only sister from her late father. I was 7 years old then and it was my first time to see Manila. This is how I got those comic books...
I found them in my aunt's garage and every time they were trying to find me, I was always in the garage reading them. I was in love with those characters and heroes although I did not understand the language (of course, it's English!) and I was still young then. I also loved and tried to draw the characters.. I think that started me to be interested in drawing and the Arts. I was so happy and surprised me a lot when my grand mother handed me some of those comic books when we were preparing to go back to Asingan. She said to me, "I will give you some of these comic books if you can help your mom in carrying the luggage, but next time, when you come back you can have it all!. "
Too bad, when I came back the comic books weren't there anymore. I blamed my self because when I went back, it was 16 years later and I was in College that time taking B.S. in Electronics and Engineering. I have to met the owner of those comic books (she is my aunt) to ask her for an Engineering job in Channel 4 Television, the government channel. She was the producer and Director of the T.V. series called Tele-Aralan a TV program for the kids and the noon time variety show starring Chique Hollman. I'd been surprised when she asked me if I am the nephew who stole her comic books. She said, "Did you keep it? You should keep those. I was mad at my mom before because those books are classics.!" In my mind, so what if they were classics! But the fact is, I did NOT steal them!
It seemed like the comic books were very important to her and I didn't know why..I was then too shy to ask her questions. (I said to myself, those were old and why she did she still remember them?) That big question stayed in my mind for a long time until I learned of the comic book culture here in America. If I knew then I should have kept those comic books...
At that time when we were vacationing in Manila, and my grandma gave me those comic books, my aunt was here in America, studying with her fiancee.
I got the job just (click) like that. I worked there for just a week because that complicated my schedule in school. I did n't care because I was then waiting for my US visa.....
Arsenio
****
That was quite a story! I just hope my printing of your e-mail won't put you in trouble with your Aunt..Anyways..
I saw one time an early copy of CAPTAIN MARVEL maybe printed in the '50s..It cost 100$..Cover price? 10 cents! Some of them for sale in the internet go as high as 1000$!..I still buy the original Classic Illustrated copies if I see them in Toronto comic book shops: there are quite a few of them..I only buy them if they are 3 or 5$..I also buy the Classics Illustrated Junior, for my grandkids..They feature the Fairy Tales told in the same format ( and number of pages ) as the regular ones..Those old ones are really something..When I lost interest in them, I saw them used for kindling the stove. We used the 3-"headed" clay stoves then ( 2 or 3 ) using firewood, clay pots and other old cooking utensils..The walls of our old kitchen were black with soot. No gas or electrical stoves then..I remember that sometimes, they cook rice in a clay pot lined with banana leaves, and it tasted so much better!( that's what they say!)..That was a world, to use some words of Margaret O. Mitchell, which is now GONE WITH THE WIND....
Atty. Fe Hufana did not stay long in Natividad; that same day she was to go to Dagupan. We were to go with her. She had an air conditioned Toyota and she instructed the driver to get ready by 1:00 pm. In the meantime, we dropped by the priest's house which is just the next door just to say Hi and exchange pleasantries. We talked about the chances of Fernando Poe Jr. as a Presidential candidate and since they were all professionals they were decided to vote against FPJ. But even then we can not tell who will be the sure winner. But I had fun listening to the FPJ jokes and wishing secretly I would be in town for the counting of the votes..Unlike a Mayoralty election, the counting of votes for the new President would take at least a month.
.After a few camera shots in and around the church, then we bade good bye to the Pastor. Nene showed me the colored stain - glass windows that were donated by the different children of Mr. and Mrs. Mariano Hufana. Soon we were back in the house, packed our bags again and we took off for Dagupan City. Our final stop would be the Dr. Mario Hufana building in Arellano st., Dagupan City.
**********
Along the way, I recalled some of my many memories of Dagupan. As a young boy, I always visited Dagupan with my dad, who himself must have been also a Dagupan addict...Our routine is the same. First we watched a movie. I can now remember only 2 theatres of the 4 theatres exisiting in the downtown area during those early years( 1948) ..One was the FLOR theatre which was beside the Farmacia Balingit. Opposite was the DAGUPAN theatre which featured mostly American action movies. Other movie theatres came much later: for example JADE theatre which was along the line of FLOR but closer to the Pantal bridge and opposite it is another theatre whose name seemed to be VINA ( or was it VIDA?) But these ones sprung up maybe the 60s or 70s.. But I know that the very FIRST air conditioned movie theatre was the one at the corner of Bugallon and Arellano sts. Arellano is the street going to Bonuan, Torres Bugallon is the road that will bring you to downtown Dagupan and beyond. The rest of them were just air-cooled meaning they used fans or blowers to push away the humidity inside the building.
I can still remember the titles of the movies I saw in most of the movie theatres here. Each time I went to Dagupan before, I peeled my eyes on the posters pasted on the buildings and walls of Urdaneta..These bills showed the current titles of the movies being shown in Dagupan: the titles, theatres, dates of showing, etc. were printed in huge, red fonts..I started to make my choice of what movie to see once I reached Urdaneta...Upon reaching Dagupan, we usually go first to a restaurant to eat lunch.With my dad, it was always the SANITARY RESTAURANT ( my mom, a picky eater called it UNSANITARY ) located a few doors west of Dagupan theatre. There were also the PAMPAGUENIA, DAGUPENIA, NEW ASIA, DELUXE but these were the expensive ones. The first 2 ones have special cozy rooms where couples dated. ( and I was still light years away from my dating stage )In the market area, there was the ELY NITO which could only accomodate 4 or 5 customers, but the food was clean and tasty. My dad liked SANITARY because it gave free soup. Then somebody told us that free soup is the hot water used to wash the cooking WOKS or SILLASIS. Whether this was true or not, the soup ( or caldo ) tasted good and I never had any stomach trouble. so I guess that rumour is just B.S. We loved to eat the greasy Pancit Guisado with lots of meat pieces or coated shrimps and chopped vegetables.
After a movie with my dad, I would ask him: "Can I buy some comics?" And the answer was always yes. I can only buy one though. Either a comic book or a toy. I always selected a comic book. I know that there lots of them in a book store beside the Flor Theatre..It was called Marigold Book store. But I remember buying the vintage comic books like: CAPTAIN MARVEL, DOLL MAN, THE MARVEL FAMILY and also the CLASSICS ILLUSTRATED. Then we would go to the Dagupan public market to visit a friend of his who sold copra. The smell of those dried coconut meat would always lingered in my nostrils long after we left the place. They would chat for while with me sitting on a small TABURETE reading my new comic book or walk around the passageway if I get bored doing nothing. After his chat we would go to the market to buy a few more stuff, mostly groceries to bring home to mother.
I remember that every Friday ( that was the BIG Market Day for Asingan ) a book mobile from Marigold would come to our hometown.. It would display on its racks pocketbooks, magazines and my favorite staple: Comic Books. These were not the local ones like Pilipino Komiks or Tagalog Klasiks or Hiwaga Komiks ( printed by Roces Publications ) but the US made comics. The local ones were sold by Mr. Sulpicio Banaag (Guiller ) who also sold Manila Times, Bannawag, Liwayway. Plus he also rented bicycles which high school students from the Rizal Junior College would rent, sometimes with lunch money. Ocassionaly, there is a Classics Illustrated hanging up there side by side with the local stuff. I would save my MICOL and DIEZ coins until I had enough to buy those stateside comics. I still remember one title: A MIDSUMMER'S NIGHT DREAM by Shakespeare. Who in Asingan was foolish enough to buy that one? Me.
At one time, I had a whole pile of them, and the collection was complete, starting from No. 1 up to whatever was printed last. I guess these had a big influence on me when I was young because, due to the absence of TV, I would be reading over and over again. And these were finely illustrated too by top notch comic book artists. I would not trade these ones to the current Stan Lee and Marvel publications ( althought these are now the basis of many box office hit movies like X-Men and Spiderman ).
Speaking of comic books, one time there was a lady in Asingan who rented comic books. 5 centavos for 1 day. Then when the kids would not return them after 1 day, she would go around to their houses collecting them!
There came a time when my parents trusted me already to go to Dagupan alone..But not to Manila yet.This would come not very long after. I had this self-pride when they allowed me already to go by myself just to the big city. But I was already following a set pattern established by my dad earlier: Eat, movie, buy some comiccs, buy some bread..go home early as not to miss the last trip to Asingan...#
I can only place a limited number of photos per entry. If I put in too much, then my 'puter starts going bananas and would start playing tricks on me like playing statue ( freezing ), playing dead ( crashing ). Miracles of modern science!
Anyway, after a couple of hours at the conservation area, we decided to give up the beauties of nature in order to pursue the great American/Canadian past time: SHOPPING! There is this bustling shopping mall in Woodbridge. Its biggest store is the Pro Bass Store(and no doubt the landlord of the smaller stores) is selling nothing but paraphernalias for another great North American past time: FISHING! It has kayaks, oars, baits,tents, small sonars and yes, they have also this humungus aquarium with variety of dinizens like eels, basses, etc. It attracts kids and adults alike. But there is nothing like HMV where I bought a CD movie soundtrack for Emma HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE. Oh yeah, she loves shopping too, even if she does not have any money. She would hold on to an item she fancies. Then I ask her:
Me:"Do you have money?"
Em:"No, but you have money.."
Me:"No, I did not bring any money.."
Em:"Use your credit card then"
Silence.
Me:"Leave it here and well come back for it.."
Em:"No. I still wanna buy it.."
Me:"Let's wait for Mommy.."
Em:"She won't let me buy it.."
Sooner or later somebody's bound to blink and guess who that one is?---#
I was at my computer this morning when the phone rang. It was Michelle Forbes, my daughter ( the Mom of Mia and Emma) and she asked me if I want to go with them to Kortright Conservation Area in Woodbridge, one of the fastest developing communities of Ontario. Toronto shares the problem of many American cities: overcrowding. So many houses are now being built in the surrounding areas and Woodbridge is one of them. It is only just 20 mins. away from our house, so I dropped my cyberwriting and said: "OK! I am joining you!" I seldom go out of the borders of Toronto and it is a chance to see what lies beyond. It was also a chance to play with the 2 grandkids during their Spring Break..Above are some photos of our short day outing..
On the night of March 13 (Monday), Miguelita, Louena, Caitlin and I went to the Humber Heights Seniors residence which is just 2 blocks away from our house in 19 Dixon road..I fulfilled my offer as volunteer to play the piano for the residents for at least an hour.Caitlin came and as a bonus, she sang 3 songs for them CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE ( The Elvis song), THINK OF ME ( FROM PHANTOM OF THE OPERA) and that Josh Groban song YOU RAISE ME UP.As usual, we received kudos ( Caitlin and I ) for our musical efforts.It felt very good seeing residents in wheel chairs listening to the songs, doing some sing-along, and praising our efforts to bring them a little joy to their day. A few of them thanked Caitlin for singing to them, one asked how old she was, one resident in wheel chair told me she used to attend St. John the Evangelist to attend the mass where I was playing the keyboard. One hour seemed to go by so fast. It is one of those times when you feel you have used your talent for spreading joy and love especially to people who are already confined to wheel chairs.
o00o
March 9 was Fr. Bob's birthday. Last Sunday, we decided to sing song DANNY BOY for him as a belated birthday gift. It is one of the well known Irish songs..Very timely too since St. Patrick's Day is just around the corner. Mia and Emma came over Saturday afternoon and so the choir was complete last Sunday morning. Before the Mass, I announced to the choir while we were in that small room near the altar: "We are going to sing DANNY BOY for Fr. Bob who celebrated his birthday last Thursday." Then the group started singing:
"Oh Bobby Boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling.."
I put my finger on my lips saying:
"Father Bob is just in the next room, changing into his church vestments.."
They stopped singing. I forgot whether they giggled or not.--#
Annie Castillo Cano a townmate now in Texas sent me some photos of her backyard. Through her I learned that her Mom is my sis Aurora's former classmate at the Rizal Jr. College ( Now RA, oops Colegio de San Louis Bertrand ) and her uncle Ely Drapiza was once our classmate with Rudy Dumapias ( now Phil. Ambassador in Mexico ).We never saw Ely again after one year in the Asingan Elementary School ( the old name) in 1948 but we did miss him because he was friendly and he was one of the good looking fellows in class. He was also a "sharp" dresser. Annie is a good conversationalist herself and she has a government job at a Public Library in Texas. In North America, if you hold a government job, it's like winning a CASH FOR LIFE lottery ticket..Anyways..
Here are a couple of photos Annie sent and I dont think she would mind if I share them with the good people of Asingan.
Here is the text that came with it.
These are last year pictures but still the same until now except the orange trees that were still tiny then at the back have grown bigger as of today
That's the "warehouse" i was talking about on one of the photos only there had been some addition to it.
NATIVIDAD is one of the picturesque towns of Pangasinan. It is close to some mountains, which is part of the Caraballo mountain range that extends up to the Cagayan-Isabela regions. The family home of the Hufanas is in this town and this is where Miguelita spent many a happy day when she was still a child, playing with her cousins.Aside from riding horses when available, they would also go swimming to Bachelor, a well known picnic area here in this town. Her Uncle, Mariano Hufana own properties, houses and buildings in Manila and Dagupan. His birthday falls on a December, and it is for this reason that some nieces of his were coming to Natividad to celebrate it by attending a dawn mass and having a get together in their house for breakfast..
The house faces a field that is close to a small mountain. The mountain winds sounded all night like humming voices but these were not scary..They sounded more like lullabyes, caressing you to sleep. They come only every 15 minutes or so, but you could hear them the whole night. But about 10:00 pm I fell asleep. In the morning, I was awakened by the knocking at the door. A voice told us to wake up so we can attend the dawn Mass..The church is just beside the house..It is said that the church lot was donated by Don Mariano. In those days, the rich people could just give away property lots for nothing. The lot on which the Philippine Independent Church stands in Asingan was also donated by my grandfather to the Iglesia Independencia Catolica .
Like Asingan, there was the clamorous music coming from the PA systems playing American Christmas carols. Tricycles come and go to unload massgoers..The front of the church was strung with multicolored lights. People stared at us as we come in.
After the Mass, we all went back to the house and in a short while the Natividad caroling team arrived to sing for their breakfast. Since the hostess is from California, they expected the food to be sumptous and they were not dissapointed. But they sang a number of carols before mess call came and everybody went to the table to break their fasting. As a bonus, Atty Fe Hufana, Nitz cousin distributed brand new dollar bills to all visitors after breakfast. Quite a few joined the line more than once..But there was more where it came from. Everybody left the house happy.---#
Vicky Fernandez Tejada made some postings recently in the Asinganian Journal..It is heartening to know that some townmates never forget you inspite of the long years that would slide like the sands of time..She is a Methodist but when we had that Catechetical program under Fr. Lazaro de Guzman she joined the First Communion ceremony.I was her catechism teacher. I and some Catechists went to the Elementary school prior to this event. During the summer school break in the Philippines which is from April to June, she would join us ( the Asingan choir) in Sunday singing as well as in outings. I remember visiting a big calamansi orchard near barrio Toboy...When we got down from the carromata, she saw the neat groove of trees and she exclaimed: CALAMANCHI! Thus she was nicknamed Calamanchi by our group. One of the group was Juanita Orpiano from Dupac..She's also a laughbag, full of funny one liners. Well, I was up on one tree, picking the calamansi fruits when she called out to me..
"There are some big ones near your reach!"
"Where?" I was up there, holding onto a branch, my legs apart so I could keep my balance..
"Right there in front of you! Can't you see those two big ones between your legs?" I saw those two calamansis between my legs. but then she realized the inuendo of her sentence and she burst into an infectious laughter. I can not laugh because I might let go of my grip..
Then Vicky left Asingan for Sacramento when she was still in Gr. 4 or 5....Ocassionally, I would receive a letter written in the big handwriting characterstic of a young child telling me how life is for newly arrived Immigrants in the US..When she told me her Mom was raising Filipino vegetables in a big farm they own in Sacramento ( the farm is still there ) I related this story as an article for the Philippine News Service and it was picked up by newspapers because it was news. Filipina makes money out of Filipino vegetables in Sacramento. Vicky said she worked in the family farm after school and on week ends. Later that year, she also wrote me her grandfather who sponsored their family died and she sent me some of the photos at the funeral home. She sent me a school ID picture.She was already wearing glasses..
Letters became few and far between but I understand now that there is so much work in the US ( and not so much in Asingan )..People abroad seldom have the luxury of writing letters to relatives in Asingan.Those were the days when Internet still belonged to the realm of Science Fiction. But there was an occasional letter with photos or Christmas Cards from her..I always answered her using 4 or 5 sheets of bond paper. Anyway I was in Asingan where the living was easy and people had so much time in their hands. When she started to work, she sent me a shirt one Christmas..That was so sweet of her.
Then one day I received a letter informing me she is going to spend Christmas in Asingan. It must have been about 7 or 8 years absence and now she wanted to visit the old hometown to see old friends ( like Tessie Cruz and maybe me ) and her relatives ( the Nitcha Family )..I do not think the word Balikbayan was already coined at that time.
I was not there when she arrived at the airport.. I forgot the exact date and time...But one night, I was walking past the Methodist church with my friend Florante when I heard somebody singing through their PA system. Her voice rang through the evening air like a church bell.The song was the popular hymn WHAT A FRIEND WE HAVE IN JESUS."I think that's Vicky," I told Flor.." Aha, so your Fil-American friend arrived," he said..I did not go inside the church to see her. I am a Catholic and in Asingan some churches are for members only. But the next morning she showed up in the house with Tessie and one of her first questions was "Why weren't you at the airport?"
She stayed in Asingan for 2 weeks, I guess. When I had a chance, I accompanied her around. One time I brought along my portable typewriter to the Asingan Public Library ( at that time, it was still in that beautiful edifice beside the old Puericulture Center )she could type her homework to be submitted when she went back to school. But then, if you are on Holiday, the last thing you would like to do is school homework.The librarian at that time was Pelagia Delmendo.Then another time, we went to visit a relative in San Manuel so she could measure her for a new dress. I also joined the whole family when they went to Baguio City. We stayed in the small "Chalet" of my relative Miss Margarita Macaraeg in Scout Barrio. Her Mom, her aunt and 2 brothers were in the trip. ( One brother Resty Jr. died sometime in the '80s, not so sure about the date).
It is amazing how soon holidays would end. . When she left Asingan to prepare for her trip back to Sacramento, I was not able to see her. I just saw her already at the Departure area of the Manila International Airport, the old name of the NAIA. One minute she was there, next minute she was gone after a flurry of good-byes..
Felt sad then of course..But that is how holidays are..As my sis Ester told me one time, "The hardest part of hellos are the good-byes"---#
Edwin Torres is one of Miguelita's first cousins, mother side. They were good friends and neighbours when they were growing up in Sta. Maria long time ago..Then came the parting of ways: Miguelita to school and Edwin to the USA...He worked in San Francisco, California for a number of years.. He was affiliated to a very good US Company and he decided to retire and put up a house in Sta. Maria, Pangasinan. Edwin is the kind of guy who wants the best for his money.Above is a pictorial of the house that Edwin built....
back to DWA
The next town we had to visit is Natividad. Nitz had a cousin waiting for us there on that day. But before we could go to Natividad, we have to drop by Tayug to pick up another relative Nenet Tebangin, the wife of Dr. Tebangin an illustrious citizen of this town..According to Nitz, the Tebangin family is one of the rich families of Tayug: they have agricultural lands plus he has also his practice and a government job in the Municipality. Nenet Tebangin, his wife worked at the Penninsula Hotel in Makati as a Department head and sometimes she was sent to Hong Kong to the main office to attend some seminars for professional advancement. Because of her help, we were able to secure a 5 day stay at the Penn for a very good rate..
Anyways, we took some tricycles that brought us to Tayug via Santa Maria. A very fine bridge now spans the river bordering Asingan and Sta. Maria. Upon reaching the Sta Maria side of the bridge, we just turned left to continue to Tayug without passing through the Poblacion of Sta. Maria de Pila. Nitz and I were married in this town on July 4, 1971.
As our ride was coasting thru the streets of Sta. Maria I remembered one of my first visits to this town. .This story happened around Dec. 1970, right during the Christmas break from school..I have 2 close buddies who were still in Asingan: Florante de Vera and Francisco Malala. I love hanging out with those guys because we share common interests:books, jokes and besides Florante had lots of fruit trees in his backyard which we could raid every now and then. It was Christmas vacation, Christmas was over and boredom started setting in..
"Don't your brother have a jeep?" asked Florante.."Yeah, "I said.
"I will provide the gas," he proposed to Belo (Francisco) " we borrow your jeep..Lets go somewhere."
"Okay," I said. At that time, my brother was in Manila. The keys are in the house and I know where they were. "One condition, lets go to Sta. Maria..Wanna check up the house of Miss Hufana."
"Sure," said Flor." I have a close relative there..Atty. Marcos..Maybe we could hit him for an afternoon snack.."
I asked my mom for the keys.."No you cant take it.."
I asked my dad.."You can take it.."
I took it!
Minutes later, we were on our way to Sta. Maria via, Urdaneta, Carmen and Rosales..Soon we were on Sta. Maria town proper. I told him to go to the Poblacion-San Vicente border, the Hufana residence is there. At that time, it was called WHITE HOUSE of Sta. Maria..We slowly passed by the front of the house and we saw a woman standing and leaning against the door..
"So want me to drive in and say HI?.."
"No, no.." I said. ..It was just the start of the school year and at that time, she barely know then I existed. We were working in the same school yes, but she was pretty, popular with her colleagues and she had a boy friend abroad..What were my chances then?..Maybe 1 in a million. Still I wanted to see where she lived and I have seen it. I know she was not there. She hated staying at home because Sta. Maria is a sleepy town and there is not much to do there except housework. So as soon after the last day of school in DWA, she took off for Dagupan to visit her uncle Mariano Hufana, the brother of her dad. Don Mariano, as she called him was a big time businessman and he spoiled Miguelita. They had a nice house in Arellano street and one of her cousins ( named Chita )still lived there at that time. The rest are already in LA. So I know at that time that she was not in Sta. Maria.
So Flor made a U turn and headed back to town straight to the house of Atty Marcos..He was a short chubby guy and he was delighted to see his relative Florante..So we took a seat and chatted while waiting for the coke and cookies to come out. One of my students in DWA before was his daughter, Ofelia Marcos. I used to call him Imelda in the classroom. And she hated it because it is not her real name..Besides at that time not many loved Imelda Marcos..And this was even before Filipinos found out about the 3000 pairs of shoes she owned!
According to Nitz ( Miguelita's nickname aside from Meg, Meggie, Nene ) Atty Marcos had a famous poem..It went something like this:
PUTO PUTO ITI SAN NICOLAS, NABUS BUSSOG, NAIM-IMAS! ( White rice buns of San Nicolas, very plump and very delicious )..The English translation does not give the necessary rhyme, but it is said he would start his poetry declaimation with this short 2 liner! I wonder how many PUTOs he had in mind? Maybe two?
Then after some laughter and other pleasantries, we bade them good-bye and he asked finally what we were doing there in that neck of the woods. He was sure Florante did not miss him that much to warrant a visit. Florante said," oh we are just coming to see a certain Miss Hufana, but I think she is not at home.."
"Oh yeah?," Atty Marcos said.." I know Doming Hufana very well..He has one pretty daughter ready for marriage ( That was Miguelita )..Want me to contact him and arrange her to meet you?" The guy was offering to match Miguelita with Florante..
We all laughed and I thought " Oh shit, this guy is about to destroy my case even before I could start building it.."
Well, the setting sun was already just above the western horizon and pretty soon all the cows would be coming home..So we bade a swift good-bye, went back to the jeep. Asingan was still a hell long way to go from Sta. Maria. We surely would feel easier if we would be traversing that wide KETEGAN area between Urdaneta and Asingan while there was still light. Very scary place, you might say because it is a long solitary stretch of rice fields and bandits would just stop and rob commuters! It is just a case of being in the right place ( or wrong place ) at the right time ( or wrong time ) depending whether you are holding the gun or you are staring at its' muzzle !! ---#
Hi Vic: Reading your Balikbayan’s diary is amusing and entertaining. I never thought you are still doing the same thing as before. Wow riding in a tricycle from Urdaneta to Asingan I can never do that. Knowing that there are lots of hold-uppers on your way home to Asingan. You really have guts. During my younger days I have been to Urdaneta once only to watch the movie “Tarzan in the Amazon”. In Manila my pastime every Saturday was to see the movie and have a walk in Luneta (Rizal Park). All I could say is keep on writing it’s very entertaining. Thank you
Hi M. Lito, I know, you didnt go to Urdaneta because of the smell of the theatres! I dont blame you though, but a movie addict like me would go anywhere..anusan even those movies shown in the plaza during our town fiesta..Remember the Lamplighter guy?.He has a beard, black cloak and he looked more like Rasputin the mad Russian monk than anybody else! Sometimes, he would perform healing in public..right among the fiesta crowd and I once saw an old woman who had arthritis go up the stage to him..He made some incantations, massage her shoulder, then voila! She was cured, or at least that is what he made us believe! For 25 centavos, you could watch a movie inside his tent ( actually a space surrounded by black tarpaulin..) Outside he would heal some people, sell some medicinal oil, etc..Yes sir, he reminds me of Snakeoil Harry of the Wild, Wild West!!
Your blog on "Urdaneta, then and now"...you only quoted 2 theaters(Nela and Elite)...you forgot to mention Consuelo Theater,where most Tagalog pictures were shown. It was located where Majik Mall stands right now.Alfredo G. Rodillas
Back to Asingan. It is like spending the first night here again so I had another restless one..Not to worry, I said to myself. On your second night, you will be sleeping again like a baby inspite of the tricycles roaring, the dogs barking and other cacophony associated to modern day Asingan. But I had to learn how to brush my teeth by the window. This was what we did it before when we were kids. You do whatever you see being done by your parents. This time I had to go to a safer place to brush my teeth. I hate to be brushing my dentures by the window and dropping them by accident into the messy ground below. Some roaming duck might just pick it up and swallow it. Never mind that the denture cost a few hundred bucks but the poor duckie! If that happened we would have to kill the little bastard to retrieve my denture and have some roasted duck on the side for lunch.
It is quite an experience being back to the house where you grow up. But as my sister Aurora said, you can not really "go back" to your house, because that house was a real happy one when you were a kid. You associate the house to a happy childhood ( maybe unhappy to some ) but when I am there, I see my image as a boy again, just like in the movie BACK TO THE FUTURE. But then my parents were still alive and I hold a special relation to each one of them. I remember bringing an old music book PROGRESSIVE MUSIC SERIES Book 1 to my mother asking her "How do we sing this song?" It was called STORY BOOK LAND and the lyrics conjured images of elves, fairies and other magical beings . It has notes so my Mother wrote the equivalent letter above each note ( like C for the note C, etc )..Then after when all letters were written, I would ask her "How do we sing it?" Of course, knowing what notes they were and singing them at sight are quite different things, like knowing whats wrong with a car..and fixing it! Anyhow I always kept those music books which were remnants of the music education left by the Americans after the war..The books were printed and bound in the USA and I remembered having volumes 1 to 3...Even when I was in Gr. 5, I saw them used by our teacher Mr. Melecio Villanueva. He had a nice voice, and he could sing music on sight and he is one of the kindest teacher I met during my childhood. Years later, I would be visiting his house very often because I and 2 of his sons Nestor and Oscar formed a music group, a Combo..But this is another story.
But that morning, I went to visit Johnny Sindayen. Johnny together with Leopoldo del Rio ( Oldong ), Rudy Manuel from Ariston, Roger Agpaoa from Cabalitian ( the Engineer ) Dr. Ruben Bugayong and some other classmates would always get together each time I visit Asingan. Johnny, in 2003 was recovering from a stroke. His face never changed, good looking as ever and he never lost his sense of humor.."Imagine," he said.." a few days after I had my stroke. I could hardly talk and could hardly write. But I had to go to the bank to cash a cheque. I had to sign the cheque then the idiot of a teller looked at my signature and told me 'this is not the signature you have in our file, sir'. I told him, 'you moron..I can't write the same way now, I just had a stroke sometime ago! ' "
Just then a red car stopped in front and who would come out if not Gregorio Velasco Jr. aka Junior. It was my first time to see him that 2003 holiday..and the last time too because he died sometime last year. I requested him to bring me to the market so I can buy some fruits for Johnny..He told me there are some grapes for sale, and Johnny loved them. So we went there, and he parked his car near the western market entrance near Caliope Chua's merchandise store. I bought 3 kilos of red grapes from the fruit section of our market. They are also selling most of the fruits we have in North America. Nobody could foresee if one is living in the '50s before that this would take place in our town.Talk about progress.... I gave 1 kilo to him which he also gave to his wife Josie when he passed by his house on our way back to Johnny..Josie was also my kumare and we worked in the Asingan choir together for so many years. Josie died too shortly after the demise of her husband. Her daughter whom I sponsored during her baptism died much earlier.
So we went back to Johnny and continued exchanging stories and jokes about the old days while watching Sports Channel ESPN on his TV. We also had some San Miguel beer. No gathering is complete without San Miguel beer Inumin ng tunay na Pilipino.( the drink of a real Pilipino ).
But unfortunately all good things must end..My cell phone chimed and Nitz told me she is in Urdaneta already on the way to Asingan to pick me up..She was spending her holiday in Trinidad with her sisters and they were on their way to Natividad to visit her cousin, Atty Fe Hufana from LA. I made a quick goodbye to Johnny. Quick and sad but that how things are in this life...Life passes by unforgivingly but one must not forget our friends..(Oh yes, in this trip I FORGOT to call on my friend Dr. Ruben Bugayong and I really feel bad about it up to now..Sorry Doc, but I will make it up next time.During our high school days, we spent countless hours talking about Hollywood movies..The same topic I enjoyed talking with now Ambassador Rudy Dumapias.)
"Come, I will bring you home," said Junior.. So we rode on his red car and he offered it to for my use in case I need to go somewhere. I said "Thanks" as I got out when I reached my house.--#
