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!--#
1 comment:
Hi! I enjoyed your diary of Dagupan. Like you I have fond memories of Dagupan too. It is not the greatest city, nor the most lovable, but I have fond memories.
I am a native of Mindanao, and Im what you would call a Traveler. I stay mostly in Manila, but now I am 4 years an adopted Dagupeno.
Many cities I have lived in: Olongapo, Davao, Cebu, Batangas, the Bicol region,etc.
I like staying for at least a year in a place and move on.
Dagupan is really a bustling place now, as it was before. In my hometown in Mindanao, there are the pioneers who come from dagupan, twas already busy then they said, thats why they migrated southward.
Its a strategic place, near to baguio, and just 4 hours to Manila, just in case I need to savor that big city hustle. Yes I still miss manila evry now and then.
But mostly now I stay here in dagupan. Outside Manila, its the most densely populated area/city Ive lived in!
There is just one drawback I noticed: corruption here is rampant, relative to other cities outside Manila. And the politics still oh so primitive. I tell you, and Ive witnessed, you can rape and kill a person here, and not go to prison, esp if youre one of the rich and powerful clans here.
So sad, that beareucracy is still corrupt, people still prefers palakasan, kakilala si ganyan, kakilala si ganito.
Of course, manila is even worse, but the mere cosmopolitanism of manila and the bigness of it, dwarfs it. Maingat ang mga tao in manila, relatively, because they dont know the neighbors.
Here in dagupan, mejo garapalan, and Im sad cause Ive grown to like this place.
The justice system here is not on merit, but on credit-debit.
I like it still though, and in my own little way Im a graft buster. I report those fixers in city hall and LTO, scold those cheats at the market.
But what I cannot do is bust the politicos and the lawyers, I could get killed.
Sana merong malakas din na magb
Post a Comment