THREE DAYS TO DEPARTURE

Dec. 27..2003 For breakfast, we went down to the Cafeteria at the ground floor of the Penn. A smiling receptionist took our room number and brought us to a table. Most of the guests were Filipinos staying in the place for reasons of their own. Didn't want to chat with them or anything, privacy to me is important whether at home or abroad. We went straight to the food counter where an array of Filipino and International cuisine were on display. Some menus were being cooked right before your eyes. There were Filipino sausages, tocino, fried tinapang bangus..I leveled my sights on the Filipino cuisine; a few days from now, I won't be tasting these recipes anymore..! I also had mango juice plus coffee, of course. I can not face my day without any coffee..We ate enough to last us until evening so that we will be saving on  lunch. We will be out there in the Malls anyway and food would be the last thing in our minds.

We were expecting my sis Aurora to arrive that day with Ester and her party; they have a room of their own adjoining to ours. Their ETA ( expected time of arrival ) is 2:00 pm. In the mean time, we went to Glorrieta and entered a Filipino movie entitled FILIPINAS. There was a long line up. A small TV monitor was telling us how many more seats are available for that particular screening. This is something we do not see in Toronto..only in Makati. The ticket price is not so bad either: at that time it was 100 pesos only! Its about 2.50 $ Can..The lobby of the theatre looks as elegant as the Coliseum type movie houses here in Toronto. Right now Toronto movie tickets cost 10$ Can ( about 7.70 $US ).

In a while, we were able to get in..The theatre is almost full so we had to stay at the front row..But even at the front row, the image looks OK..The first class theatres in Manila have adapted the same architectural styles used abroad.. The screen is also huge, the image is bright, the sound is clear ( although being a Pilipino movie it is not in Dolby Surround sound or DTS or SDDS like the other theatre sound systems abroad. But we sat in comfort and enjoyed the whole show. It is like inside an American theatre watching a Filipino film..

Its funny how the characters talk about going abroad. It seems it is so easy for them, just like hopping on a bus.."I am going to Canada next week, either come with me or stay behind..!" one father was telling her daughter. I was wondering what kind of visas those guys were holding. Then one movie character said.."I wonder how much is the current exchange rate of Pesos to canadian $?" I was almost tempted to shout out: "It is 40 pesos to 1 Canadian $, you moron!" In Filipino movies, you are either too rich or too poor, too intelligent or too stupid. Some characters are either too rich and too stupid, ha-ha! Filipino audiences just love those guys...

The movie was over at 12:30 pm..A new line up was forming at the lobby. The movie was good! It was recommended as one of the FAMAS contenders for the next ceremony..We went back to the hotel, not after we dropped by a Take-out snack bar to buy some of those really fine smelling goodies they had. The layout in Glorrieta is so complicated that it is so easy to get lost. Four different storeys and each storey have four alleyways exiting to different streets..You need a map to find your bearings in this place. But then holding a map and appearing TA-TANGA TANGA will make you an easy prey for the unseen hoods around waiting to pounce on you!

We just walked fast, crossed Ayala, took a side street that would eventually bring us back to the Penn and the comfort of an air conditioned room. When it gets hot out there it is really hot! Half of the day is already gone!---#

A REUNION IN VEGAS

 

Originally, I also wanted to join this class reunion among batch '81members of Rizal Academy, although I belong to class '58 which is quite a few years away. But Albert Manuel one of the participants is my God son and his dad Rudy is one of my best friends in Asingan and here in Toronto. Besides, I never have been in Vegas and I heard many exciting news about this part of the USA.. Words, they say, would never fully describe Las Vegas so it pays to be there in person and soak in the sights...So I phoned Albert Thursday night ( a few days after his return to Toronto to give him a chance to catch a few hours of sleep ) and I was able to pump out a few stories re: his few days stay in Vegas which he described as a "very happy " event..It is just a prelude to a bigger, better reunion this time to be held in Asingan on Dec. 16, 2006..Will be able to make it this time?..WE WILL SEE...( I am crossing my fingers behind my back )

"So what happened in Vegas?"

"Oh we had a grand time, talking about the old days, and trying to catch up.." he said..Well, I remember also the time when I visited Asingan after 12 years and I teamed up with Rudy Manuel, Albert's dad ( my kumpare). Yes, there is so much to talk about and so little time to do it...

Well according to Albert, only the following made it: Alma Balangue Chew, Jackie Pagaduan Lee, Noel Manansala and their adviser Julie Delmendo made it. Later on he said, Fernando Ong the son of Emmie ( I wonder if I spelled the name right ) joined them too. Also Jun Jun Luga, Eric Mauricio and Norberto Tagarino..Upon arrival on that Fridayafternoon, all of them gathered in the residence of Bert Delmendo, the elder brother of Julie. They had a good time ( and a good supper ) in his huge house because he was a good cook..My, my food is always a magic word to me. Good food, good conversation, drinks, plus live music ( Albert said Julie is still a good singer ) what more can one ask?

They split afterwards going individual ways and Albert went to the California Hotel where they were booked until Sunday, April 2nd. Yes, they went to play Casino..Yes, somebody won: Julie. She got $80.00 which is not bad. The most I won in Reno one time is $20 but then, I am not really the gambling type. They went to see Ceasar's Palace where Celine Dion is tied up to a contract. No, they did not watch her show. One ticket cost as high as 200$..But on the smaller clubs, there is a Celine Dion look alike and she also is a sound-alike and the show cost only 30$..And you can even have a picture taken with her! Plus there are countless Elvis impersonators and these are better looking than the original! Another attraction, he said, are the shops displaying the brand names of clothes and bags and shoes..These must be for the shopaholics..And the prices are not cheap. But hey, you can always say it with pride that you bought them in Vegas!

Ceasar's Palace is gorgeous, he said. The roof inside the joint is as bright as daylight, with a realistic looking sky and floating clouds. There were also statues of Romans, then the Trojan Horse plus the winged horse Pegasus. Yes, Vegas is one city which never sleeps. Forget New York, Vegas is the place to be!

Well, there is going to be a class reunion batch '81 on December 16, this year. Julie said its going to be held in the Delmendo Cable Social hall, the same place I visited December 2003. There will be socials, of course and I believe it is going to be something to remember. There will be an Asingan group to take care of the reservations, food, preparations and other stuff like that! I am sure the affair is going to be a BLAST! So batch '81 people, BE THERE!---#

addendum: Photos will be published here as soon as I receive them in my e-mail..

LAST DAY IN ASINGAN...

LAST DAY IN ASINGAN, FINAL DAYS IN MAKATI..

Leaving Asingan after a holiday evoked a mixture of happy and sad feelings. Happy because soon you will see again your home abroad ( which you have missed already a lot ) and sad because you will be leaving the relatives you have met and with whom you enjoyed their company. In my case they were the children of my nephews Rudy and Gildo Sampaga. It would be more heart breaking if you were leaving your parents behind. After all, they were the persons who took care of you and maybe, you could not have gone abroad if it were not for them. Leaving them sick and bedridden would be the pits and the feeling won't leave you for a long time.

Last 2003, my parents were already gone. But the house reminded me of them and it also reminded me of the happy child hood days I spent under it's roof.You could not really turn your feelings on and off like a switch light. Feelings are always there and sometimes, a visit to the Philippines would really turn these feelings again, whether these are good or bad. It is just a matter of controlling them, focusing on the good rather than the bad. But this is easier said than done.

I spent my last day in Asingan without knowing it. I thought we would leave Asingan on Dec. 27, but I received a word from Manila that we should check in at the Manila Penn on the 26th, otherwise we will lose the room reserved for us from the 26 to the 30. Our check out day and time will be Dec. 31 at 11:00 am. After checking out, a Hotel shuttle bus would bring us to the NAIA so we can catch a 1:00 pm Cathay Pacific flight for HongKong. So after a fast work in packing the suitcases ( these weren't really completely unpacked since day 1 in Asingan ) we bade goodbye to all the people in the house. I can not really forget the faces of the people to whom I bade good-bye. My feelings would stir up but I tried not to show it. I just got into the tricycle which would bring us to Urdaneta and from there we would hail a Manila bound bus that would bring us to Makati at least at 3:00 pm..

The bus we got had a drop off point at EDSA-Ayala ave. From this point we waited for Nene's nephew who came in a taxi to bring us to the Penninsula. Actually, the room was registered under his name. That is the rule so we can get a cheap rate with the hotel if a Filipino Citizen registered the room for us. Otherwise, the Concierge would charge us the Balikbayan rate which would be in Dollars and would be twice as much.

The room was gorgeous, of course. It is a far better hotel than the Dusit where we checked in the first time when we just arrived in Manila a few weeks ago..

SOME GEMS FROM THE OTHER PANG.ORG TOWN PAGES

Some readers do not have much time to surf the other pages of Pang.Org..Well, I do! I am reproducing a couple of good ones I gleaned from first, the San Carlos City Board and the 2nd one comes from the Rosales Board..I am proud not just being an Asinganian, but also as a Pangasinense..Check out these entries..

SAN CARLOS CITY -- April is bursting with festivities. Aside from Mapandan's Pandan Festival, Alaminos City's 100 Islands Festival, Dagupan City's Bangus Festival, and Pangasinan's Pista'y Dayat, San Carlos City will be holding its Mango-Bamboo Festival. Vice Mayor Julier Resuello said the annual Mango-Bamboo Festival, which was launched in 2001, has become a part of the city's fiesta celebration. The city's festival will not be as grand like the other Pangasinan festivities. The city fiesta is scheduled on April 22-29, but the Mango-Bamboo Festival will be on April 28. Highlight will be the float parade and street dancing with the participants wearing mango and bamboo inspired costumes. The city is widely known as "carabao" mango and bamboo trading area. The trading area used to be at the city plaza and auditorium from Friday to Sunday. Traders from Manila and other provinces regularly come to buy in bulk mango fruits and bamboo by-product. To help the local businessmen (some are straggling entrepreneurs who produce furniture or baskets good only for the market day) command better prices and to accommodate more buyers, Mayor Julian Resuello caused the transfer of the trading area to a wide-open lot in Barangay Roxas adjacent to the new public market. Market revenue also increased with the move. "The festival will serve as an instrument to help improve the marketing of mango and bamboo. This will increase the earnings of mango growers and bamboo craftsmen (some manufacture at their backyards). Some of them rely only on middlemen to market their products for lack of connection and access to exporters and traders, thus they are deprived of fair price," the mayor earlier said. Meantime, the Mango-Bamboo Festival has become a regular fixture in the regional tourism fairs of the tourism department and Pangasinan's own Pangangidayew (showcasing local products and tourist destinations) since the event's first holding. (LCMY)

The next entry came from the town of Rosales:

Name: Ronny Poblacion
Town_City: Janiuay, Iloilo
EmailAddress: ronnyp5958@yahoo.com
Remote Name: 203.177.244.81

I missed Rosales so much. Been there more than 10 yeas ago. I believe it is now one of the most progressive towns of Pangasinan. Rosales has a very special place in my heart.It is the hometown of my best friend. The then police Officer and chief in our town here in Janiuay,Iloilo and now the very dynamic mayor of your beloved town, Mayor Ricardo Velo Revita. I am a professional photographer and i was vey surprised to learn that the national artist for literature F Sionil Jose, is from Rosales. He wrote the introduction of an intenational coffeetable book aptly called Filipina wherein i was one of the featured photographers. Dr. Leslie Bauzon, greetings to you. I enjoyed viewing your slideshow. feel free also to visit my website www.ronnypoblacion.com . I wish I can visit Rosales again one of these days and visit my mayor friend. He has a constant communication here in Janiuay and he even came back and visited his friends here in Janiuay. By the way, to the good people of Rosales. Janiuay wherein your mayor has served as Chief in the early 90's is the hometown of then Sec. of DAR Rene C. Villa and Josette T. Biyo a multi awarded science teacher who has a planet named after her( Planet Biyo ) by the Lincoln Observatories in the U.S.

*****************

Well, Asingan has the Gay Night, last day of the town fiesta..It will be the gayest night to top all nights...

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Christmas 2003 ( Balikbayan's diary Continuation )

We arrived in Asingan from Dagupan at a very late hour. The next day, a few days away from Christmas, Nene decided to spend Christmas Day with her folks..He logic was "We spend Xmas together for several years..This chance is once in every 38 years.." That is counting backwards from the day we left the Philippines for the first time: that was 1975.

So Christmas 2003 is one yuletide which Nene and I did not spend together. She spent it in Trinidad with her family and I spent it in Asingan with mine..But we texted each other when things wind down a little bit, meaning when there is a breathing space. She said that many of Manang Esthers students, friends, etc. came over , being Christmas eve, and they had a barbeque at their patio.They had a bit of privacy because Manang Ester's bungalow was on top of a hill in the outskirts of Trinidad....

In my neck of the woods, the singing group led by a very good and loyal friend Juanita Orpiano Arzadon came over to the house and we had a modest Xmas feast.. They also sang several Christmas carols. I played the keyboard lent to us by Leah Rame Apuyod plus, when I do not know the songs ( the Tagalog ones ) their own guitarist took over..In a way, even if we were apart, we still had a very Merry Christmas!

That Xmas midnight Mass, I joined the Asingan choir in the midnight Mass. I brought to church the keyboard and plugged it to the church's powerful sound system...Juanita was the song leader. Before the actual Mass, I played GESU BAMBINO and a couple of songs which I had been playing at the St. John the Evangelist, in Toronto..Funny was my situation that Christmas eve. I was away from Toronto, I was not playing at my Parish Church and I was also away from my wife! But still..sometimes you get that uncanny feeling that even if you are away from a place, your mind is there and when you are away from a person, her face is in your mind's eye, most of the time, so in a certain sense, you were not really separated. The mind, indeed is stronger than the body and that is how it should be...

So Juanita sang 2 verses of O HOLY NIGHT, during the Communion then she cut it because the regular choir have their own agenda or set of songs prepared for the night..I felt I intruded and indeed I really butted in. The priest do not know me, the singers (except Juanita ) did not know me..and they looked at me as if I came from another planet. That's okay, I said to myself. At least I played O HOLY NIGHT that Xmas and I did not break my tradition..When I lied down alone that night, I REALLY FELT ALONE. Well, there were a couple of mosquitoes inside the net waiting for me to sleep so they can start sucking my blood..Ah what the heck, I said it is Christmas! Let those fricking mosquitoes have their Noche Buena too!

Even the text messages began to get cut off..I guess it was Xmas eve and thousands of texts are flying across the air every minute.The Mother computer perched somewhere was about to have a breakdown...So eventually to save battery, I shut off my cel and forced myself to sleep..

I woke up the next morning at the usual time..It was ,Dec. 25, Nene promised to come home..And she did, in the afternoon. Her sister accompanied her to Asingan but she went straight to Manila to join her family too whom she left behind just before Christmas.She took the afternoon Viron bus bound for the Philippine Big Apple.Hey at least I was not the only one Home Alone! That afternoon, Nene and I went to spend one night at the Crystal Glade in Ariston. I brought my digicam and I was able to get a few shots..--#

 

GAMES CHILDREN PLAY

My favorite game when I was a kid was fencing. Instead of dueling swords however, we used a straight piece of bamboo or a long branch of a sturdy and straight Philippine wood abundant in Asingan. We went to isolated places for our "duel" which might take place a long time ( nobody actually dies ) but as soon as we touch the other guys body with the stick, then he "died" and we start all over again. However,  as soon as it  started to get dark we had to go home for supper otherwise, our swords will be used on our butts by our mothers.

One Christmas, I received a toy cowboy gun made from metal and the handles looked like white ivory. They were beauties. For bullets, we buy some rolled paper bullets ( actually tiny bits of match heads ) called firing pistol caps. We bought these at Loa's store in the marketside and these were always on demand.  The pistol would create an authentic gunshot sound ( especially inside the house ) . The toy pistol was sold only in Manila or Dagupan and you have to buy the gun holster and belt separately. After a while, a single spring inside the gun would break and the gun became useless. You can not buy a replacement spring.

Sometimes, my playmates and I use rubber bands and the ammo are small pieces of paper rolled and bent so you could attach it in one end of the rubber band, like a bow and arrow. We used these on targets ( comic strip figures cut and pasted on cardboard with a folded base so it could stand )..These come as a part of the various Filipino comic books published in the '50s. After a while, we use live targets that is, we used our rubber band with bullets on each other. We try not to hit the eyes though, otherwise s..t would hit the ceiling when Mom learns about it. ( Poor Mom, she's the only one giving discipline to the young 'uns. ).

Playing hide and seek in Asingan is quite some fun because you have the whole backyard to use. Plus the neighbour's backyard whether she likes it or not.Asingan kids do not care for privacy as long as they can play. There is so much stuff in our backyard ( bushes, big boxes, empty water tanks used by the machineries etc.) that we do not need anything else once we start playing hide and seek. We climbed trees to hide, or went under the houses not caring who owns it. Many Philippine houses have open ground floors with various stuff. Lots of animal droppings there too and most of the kids do not use any sandals or slippers. When something was stepped on, the poor kid would scream, go out of the hiding place, limping and pressing his/her nostrils while heading for the water pump to do some clean up.

Who needs TV in Asingan during those days? We just wait for that faithful buddy to come and pick us up Saturday mornings and we have the whole fun day ahead of us! Awright!--

vcostes

HOW THE KIDS PLAYED WAR GAMES IN CABINGCOLAN

by Arsenio Macanas

TWO places in the Western Poblacion  I remember as a kid, were always against each other in a regular kiddie "war game".Why we did them I do not know. How we did them  still lingers in my mind.

We had the war games between Cabingcolan vs. Marketside that started as a child's play, then I think it became  a real one at the end. This game is similar with the paintball game here in America. I think our game was more injurious and harsh than the paintball because , we didn’t have those goggles, masks and the uniforms ( like a full metal jacket). We were armed with paper bullets air gun made of bamboo (we called it palso-ot) and water spray gun( also made of bamboo) using water mixed with chili pepper. If those "bullets"  got you in the eyes, that would leave you blind, either temporarily or permanently. 

These two groups had leaders. The leader of the cabingcolan team was Renato Escorpiso, now  a successful Electrical Engineer ( a multi million Contractor for oil refinery in Asia). Rexie Ramos was the leader of the Market Side, the son of the late ex-vice mayor Rafael Ramos (now  a successful Medical Practitioner). I heard he lives in San Francisco California. These two fellows were 5 years older than me. Anyway, I didn’t know how they started this game I just joined them them later to have fun.

The game started at the back yard of the late Mr. J.Esteban the former teacher from the Rizal Academy. There was a trail then at the property of Mr. Esteban that linked to the late Nana Sebia Escorpiso property (cabingcolan side). Most of the cabingcolan residents used this trail, to go to the Market. Then during the early 80’s the Esteban Family closed this trail with a high  fence,  because some of the passers - by using the trail were abusing the property. I remember the sweet and delicious kakaw trees (cocoa tree). Everybody wanted to help themselves and also to the other fruit trees. I felt guilty cuz I tasted quite a few of them( he!he!he!) Yeah, every time I used the trail I can’t help not to visit the kakaw tree, it was delicious! Manang Celly Torres, Please don’t get mad at me. It wasn’t only me I just imitated the other passers by. (By the way, I would like to thank you and Eric Mauricio all those Free pass in Disney land every time I had a guest… summer is coming and Disneyland is fun.)

Every afternoon, the game would resume. I knew it was  vacation time then but I can’t remember if was summer or Christmas. I was only 8 or 9 years old then and initially it was a lots of fun. THEN, the game started becoming harsh and violent. The market side boys started using  buckets filled with different kinds of s__t to throw to us. The next day, we started using slingshot (palsiit) and wooden gun slingshot with the nail bullets. I did not know who made those, they just handed to us from those who were older than us.

One day someone named Ambo Lopez got seriously injured. He was shot on his head with a nail. I saw it with my two eyes. Blood was gushing from his head and they had to  bring him to the hospital.

Games over!It became  history at this point. Since then, I never saw anybody play the war games anymore. I saw some kids played palsoot but just by themselves, target practice, maybe.. But, no more war games!!

Manong Renato and Manong Rexie, that was  lots of fun with good memories. To those who were in this game, "Peace  be with you all."---#