Terça-feira, Dezembro 21, 2004
North Of The Philippines, Here I Come
After the Noche Buena, I will be packing my clothes for the annual family vacation. Albeit it has always been like this, same car, same places, same food, same people to see, et cetera... Going for a vacation never really bores me.
Starting on the 26th, five days from now, we leave Manila and head for the following:
Ilocos Sur
My father grew up in Amarao, a dusty barrio in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur. That's where we stay every vacation. Our house there is a dead spot. Cell phones are futile. One needs to go to the barren river nearby to get at least a bar of signal from the cell sites. My experiences in Ilocos Sur used to be dreary and lousy. First off, the house is old, large, and quite eerie. Every summer, it is hot in the house during the day although very cool at night. And the heavens are very clear and filled with stars. The marvelous sight makes my very happy. Second off, because the place is short of signal, the only channel in the television is ABS-CBN. Mind you, Manila's ABS-CBN isn't the same in provinces. ABS-CBN there is sort of more inferior. I don't know. But nevertheless, I still could not bear watching teleseryes and afternoon entertainment shows. But just recently my uncle applied for Dream Cable so we were able to watch cool films and other television shows in the house. Third off, the taste of spring water is so repugnant you'd start to think you aren't really drinking water. Fourth off, our other relatives on the father side don't always go to Ilocos Sur, so we often spend vacation alone. The house in Amarao has a huge lot. There are big trees, a pigpen, a chicken stall, a rice mill, and a big hut, too. The big hut is where we usually eat on some special occasions, usually when our other relatives come over.
Bangued, Abra
This is where my mother grew up. Only a trip two hours north from Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur and we're there. At the welcome tunnel of the province (remember the tunnel in Coca-cola's Carl Kalabaw?), I usually yell out the loveliest, most striking name I know: Brasil! And it echoed so loudly the engkantos of the forest must have been deafened. Haha. In Bangued, there's no problem with telephone signals and cable networks. My siblings and I are happier staying in Abra because we have cousins about our age there. In Amarao, almost all of them are married. In addition, we have our favorite Lola Garit, Mama's auntie, our very cute grand aunt who kisses affectionately by not kissing at all. I cannot explain well how she does it but she just presses her lips to your cheek and she'd breathe real hard at the same time. Like she tries to swallow you through her pug nose.
I encourage you to go to Bangued on a Holy Week. They have 'libot,' a religious procession, and the event the natives call, 'abong-abong.' On the many streets of Bangued, people construct huge dioramas that speak of Christ's sufferings. Those scenic representations are best seen at night as the designers of the diorama often make use of black lights and pieces of neon-colored paper. Personally, I think the 'abong-abong' gives a better feel of Christmas instead of Holy Week.
Vigan, Ilocos Sur
I have only been here once but I already fell in love with the place. I would give anything to visit her again. I haven't given up anything yet but we're finally going back to Vigan next week! Her high school instructors who are getting married in some place in Vigan had invited my youngest sister, Ciarra to their wedding. The entire family will be staying in some very chic casa for a night only since it's expensive to lodge in a hotel. We slept overnight at Villa Angela, the same casa Tom Cruise slept in when he went to the Philippines during the shoot of Born on the Fourth of July. During my previous stay there, I dearly enjoyed walking along the cobble stone streets and dining buffet at the Cafe Leona, sipping on the exquisite chocolate-eh. Astig talaga.
Baguio City, Baguio
Hay, magfi-Filipino na 'ko dito. Masaya rito lagi. Para sa pamilya namin, mura lang ang magbakasyon dito sa Baguio dahil may tatlong palapag na bahay kami rito. Wala na akong masabi pa dahil kumpleto lahat ng gamit pati na ang cable sa telebisyon.
Parati kaming pumupunta sa Baguio. Pare-pareho nalang ang pinupuntahan namin dito: sa Camp John Hay kung sa'n kami nagpi-picnic, sa Philippine Military Academy (PMA) kung sa'n may mga sundalo (ano pa nga ba?), sa Burnham Park na sobrang boring na puntahan, sa ukay-ukay kung sa'n makakabili ng damit na rejected pero imported, sa palenke kung sa'n kami bumibili ng paborito naming Tantamco's Ube Jam, tigsa-sampumpisong lettuce at iba pang pangkain namin pati na rin ang carrot keychain ko, sa Tam-Awan Village kung sa'n tumatambay ang mga kilalang pintor, iskultor, mga Igorot at iba pa, sa Session Road na laging nilalakaran kung sa'n madalas kaming kumain (Star Cafe da best), sa Antipolo Building sa Session Road kung sa'n kami bumibili ng mumurahing libro, at syempre sa gusaling sumira sa makasaysayang Session Road, ang SM Baguio na kung sa'n may malawak na terrace na nakikita ang buong lunsod ng Baguio.
Minsan parang boring na rin pumunta. Pero hindi e.
That aside, the cool atmosphere is the only thing that makes us want to go back to Baguio again... and again... and again...
Starting on the 26th, five days from now, we leave Manila and head for the following:
Ilocos Sur
My father grew up in Amarao, a dusty barrio in Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur. That's where we stay every vacation. Our house there is a dead spot. Cell phones are futile. One needs to go to the barren river nearby to get at least a bar of signal from the cell sites. My experiences in Ilocos Sur used to be dreary and lousy. First off, the house is old, large, and quite eerie. Every summer, it is hot in the house during the day although very cool at night. And the heavens are very clear and filled with stars. The marvelous sight makes my very happy. Second off, because the place is short of signal, the only channel in the television is ABS-CBN. Mind you, Manila's ABS-CBN isn't the same in provinces. ABS-CBN there is sort of more inferior. I don't know. But nevertheless, I still could not bear watching teleseryes and afternoon entertainment shows. But just recently my uncle applied for Dream Cable so we were able to watch cool films and other television shows in the house. Third off, the taste of spring water is so repugnant you'd start to think you aren't really drinking water. Fourth off, our other relatives on the father side don't always go to Ilocos Sur, so we often spend vacation alone. The house in Amarao has a huge lot. There are big trees, a pigpen, a chicken stall, a rice mill, and a big hut, too. The big hut is where we usually eat on some special occasions, usually when our other relatives come over.
Bangued, Abra
This is where my mother grew up. Only a trip two hours north from Santa Cruz, Ilocos Sur and we're there. At the welcome tunnel of the province (remember the tunnel in Coca-cola's Carl Kalabaw?), I usually yell out the loveliest, most striking name I know: Brasil! And it echoed so loudly the engkantos of the forest must have been deafened. Haha. In Bangued, there's no problem with telephone signals and cable networks. My siblings and I are happier staying in Abra because we have cousins about our age there. In Amarao, almost all of them are married. In addition, we have our favorite Lola Garit, Mama's auntie, our very cute grand aunt who kisses affectionately by not kissing at all. I cannot explain well how she does it but she just presses her lips to your cheek and she'd breathe real hard at the same time. Like she tries to swallow you through her pug nose.
I encourage you to go to Bangued on a Holy Week. They have 'libot,' a religious procession, and the event the natives call, 'abong-abong.' On the many streets of Bangued, people construct huge dioramas that speak of Christ's sufferings. Those scenic representations are best seen at night as the designers of the diorama often make use of black lights and pieces of neon-colored paper. Personally, I think the 'abong-abong' gives a better feel of Christmas instead of Holy Week.
Vigan, Ilocos Sur
I have only been here once but I already fell in love with the place. I would give anything to visit her again. I haven't given up anything yet but we're finally going back to Vigan next week! Her high school instructors who are getting married in some place in Vigan had invited my youngest sister, Ciarra to their wedding. The entire family will be staying in some very chic casa for a night only since it's expensive to lodge in a hotel. We slept overnight at Villa Angela, the same casa Tom Cruise slept in when he went to the Philippines during the shoot of Born on the Fourth of July. During my previous stay there, I dearly enjoyed walking along the cobble stone streets and dining buffet at the Cafe Leona, sipping on the exquisite chocolate-eh. Astig talaga.
Baguio City, Baguio
Hay, magfi-Filipino na 'ko dito. Masaya rito lagi. Para sa pamilya namin, mura lang ang magbakasyon dito sa Baguio dahil may tatlong palapag na bahay kami rito. Wala na akong masabi pa dahil kumpleto lahat ng gamit pati na ang cable sa telebisyon.
Parati kaming pumupunta sa Baguio. Pare-pareho nalang ang pinupuntahan namin dito: sa Camp John Hay kung sa'n kami nagpi-picnic, sa Philippine Military Academy (PMA) kung sa'n may mga sundalo (ano pa nga ba?), sa Burnham Park na sobrang boring na puntahan, sa ukay-ukay kung sa'n makakabili ng damit na rejected pero imported, sa palenke kung sa'n kami bumibili ng paborito naming Tantamco's Ube Jam, tigsa-sampumpisong lettuce at iba pang pangkain namin pati na rin ang carrot keychain ko, sa Tam-Awan Village kung sa'n tumatambay ang mga kilalang pintor, iskultor, mga Igorot at iba pa, sa Session Road na laging nilalakaran kung sa'n madalas kaming kumain (Star Cafe da best), sa Antipolo Building sa Session Road kung sa'n kami bumibili ng mumurahing libro, at syempre sa gusaling sumira sa makasaysayang Session Road, ang SM Baguio na kung sa'n may malawak na terrace na nakikita ang buong lunsod ng Baguio.
Minsan parang boring na rin pumunta. Pero hindi e.
That aside, the cool atmosphere is the only thing that makes us want to go back to Baguio again... and again... and again...
Carnaval took a nap at 10:37:00 PM
|
----------------------------------------------------------------
The Author
Carnaval is a fourth year nursing student of Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila. Her thoughts are whacked. She's mad so she's talking back. She's tired of people who stick their noses in things that are none of their business.
Previous Posts
- Och, Och! I Have Such An Accommodating Rugae! Aye!...
- Something Wicked This Way Comes (Again) -- Relivin...
- All About Food
- Volley A La Leila Barros
- Great
- My Story Went Like This
- Do The Kegel Maneuver
- Internet, At Last!
- I See Them Coming
- The Euphoric December
Friends
- aeda
- anatomical snuffbox
- angela
- angeli
- anniel
- ate hannah
- ate lorah
- ate nik
- bren
- carmigz
- cow
- hobbes
- jebski
- jedihobbitwitch
- jhen
- joanne
- joacs
- jopwitee
- jordan
- karina
- kei
- kuya marlon
- llan3
- malou
- mechaion
- [mo]ssimo
- pam
- pepz
- pussyloverules
- raindrops
- riddler
- russ
- salot na iskolar ng bayan
- sedricke
- scribbles
- slang caveat
- summer bliss
- sunset eyes
- the fallen
- the memoirist
- tin
- twisted echoes
- vernanina
Hits
>>unload
Carnaval08