Esteem Friend

I've been away for more than a week. I have to rush to Baguio City to be with my best friend Dinky who lives there, the guy who borrowed my first cheap electric Fender guitar, didn't mind returning it and have no intentions of giving it back to me. I don't mind...he's the best of my best friends.

He has undergone an operation, tinanggal ang appendix, a small pouch-like connected with the intestine at punong-puno na yata ng impurities sa kaiinom ng alak at kakakain ng tripilla ng manok. Mahilig kasing dumaan yun sa barbekyuhan at bumili ng inihaw na tripilla. His family is out of the country and he is home alone...i have to be with him and take care of his needs...tigapakain, tigakamot ng likod, tigahugas ng pwet, tigakuwento, tigabili ng gamot. Naging tigasing alalay tuloy ako ng dakila kong kaibigan.

I don't mind...i felt it was my obligation to do this specially in time of needs or bad times, could be for the family or friends. I could sacrifice my week earnings for them, and i won't allow friendship stops...this is the time to show you care and your presence means a lot. You can't make bad stuff go away, but you can free up a person's time so that he can deal with the crisis.

Now, he can manage and he is ok, he'll live (mahirap yun, lapit na kasi sa bituka) and I have to go back to my work, galit na ang boss ko. But one thing i can share is... that friendship is not words but meanings. And drama ko pero totoo yun!

Me and my Kimchi

How I love to feast my meal with my Kimchi...When I had a chance to have a trip to Korea way back 1996, I was in love with this traditional spicy and fiery, yet earthy and cool salad. And eversince...life for is nothing without Kimchi. Dare?!

Would you know that in recent years, kimchi has received the blessing of science for its rich dietary value. Researchers have found that kimchi contains a surprisingly large amount of vitamin C and carotene, as well as substantial amounts of protein, fats, carbohydrates, calcium, and vitamins? Dare?!
 

 

Across the Plains

I have promised myself that when my feasibility study is done, i am going to reward myself, take a break, get out from the headaches of work and go for a vacation...which i did last week. Finally!

The whole family packed their respective bags, throw these in the car trunk and went straight north....the Pangasinan region. I missed my Mom & Dad, my nephews, my sister who had just arrived from UK, my old dogs, our old house. I miss the Ilocano-speaking folks, the dinendeng, papaitan, tupig and i miss the country air.
 

 

There were no time wasted...i had a chance to go to Bunuan, Dagupan City for a taste of the best grilled bangus dipped in bagoong, the famous Silverio's which was fondly called Dawel Restaurant way back then...a restaurant in the middle of the fish ponds. This is where Mom and Dad usually bring us when we were kids. The place was a bit modern now with a band playing while having your sumptuous meal...still the same good old sea foods.

After a good dinner, me and my cousins went to this ala-Kampo night out...the "Warehouse" where we had some beer while banging our heads with the Alamid band and some other underrated groups...not too bad. It was a night that rules when nobody watches with evil designs. Mostly teens flooded the club, gyrating with much gusto when a band delivers a hip-hop piece complete with the high five-finger-sign gesture. But that didn't even bother me...i am no hip-hop buff but i can translate. Kalabaw lang ang tumatanda, aba.

 

A visit to Baguio was the next maneuver...it was the whole family, and the kids really enjoyed the sights...complete with the fog, a mist approaching so nearly to fine rain. The same old parks but fair enough, those pine trees soothe the soul and compensate everything. My wife had a chance to buy all her pasalubongs...walis tambo, the brittle, the strawberry jams. And yes, we had a chance to go by La Trinidad's strawberry fields...isa sa tambayan ko nung nag-aaral pa ako. I really missed Baguio...i spent half of my life in this city.

 

And finally, our visit to the miraculous Lady of Manaoag...the shrine is so serene, full of spirits and blessings. Every time i have my vacation, i ascertain a visit at the site for a prayer of thanksgiving and blessings. One part of my life when i was sick, this is where i sought refuge...a daily talk with our Lady brings comfort and assurance.  

I had a heavy heart coming back here in Rizal...it would again take sometime for my next vacation. But i am blessed...i still have a lot of chances of coming back to where my roots are, a place where life is simple, full of vigor...yet, there is so much to see and do, you'll want to come back time and time again. A life away from the frenetic pace of life in the city. Oh well, there is always a time to look back.