Bansalenos Social Network
Glimpes of Life in My Hometown Bansalan
When I was a kid, I wonder why I was born in a small town and not in a big city. At that early age, I thought that the city is more fun than a rural town. Going to the city was a big deal because there were so many exciting things to see: the tall buildings, the neon lights, the traffic, lots of people, parks, cinemas, huge shopping stores and various forms of entertainment.
Back in my little town, we don't ride a jeepney or taxi but a tricycle or sometimes a bumpy carabao cart. But it was fun if you don't mind the carabao smell. Watching a movie at Elite Theatre was already a treat. We didn't know that theatres are supposed to smell good, airconditioned, and have padded seats. Seating in the theater balcony was something to brag about to our classmates the next day. We even learned to ignore that pesky peanut vendor inside the theatre, hawking her "mani" in the middle of the show, "mani, mani, mani, mani mo diha". Who would knew that one of these mani-vendors would end up in Netherlands and become the president of ABW (but that's for another blog.)
There were so many things we took for granted back home. The air is fresh and a lot of things are free. When I went to an Asian grocery in California one Saturday, I saw a bunch of malunggay leaves (or kamungay back home). The cost was $3.00 a pound which is about half a kilo. I remembered that we have malunggay trees everywhere in our farm. Anybody can have it for free. Our neighbors don't even need to ask for permission when they wanted some. They just pick them like they own it and we have no qualms about it. But since kamungay is one of my comfort foods I still have to buy it regardless of the price. Besides, Dr. Edith Bautista-Quint has been espousing the many health benefits of malungay. She even wanted to plant malungay all over town as her pet project.
Oh the various tropical fruits like mango, santol, avocado, jackfruit, guyabano, tambis, atis and various varieties of banana. They were everywhere too. When in season, we just bring a knife and climb the mango tree and have ripe mangoes to our heart's content. If you don't own a mango tree, just bring a pintik (slingshot) and harvest the neighbor's mango tree using the pintik. We were skilled pintik users. We could easily hit a ripe mango 20 feet up in the air and catch the falling mango before it hits the ground. We could have won the Pintik Olympics if there was one. Of course, the tree owner did not like that style of harvesting.
Don't remind me of the "butong" (young coconut). It's my favorite especially with condensed milk, soda crackers and ice cubes. I don't call it "lamaw" as some locals would call it because "lamaw" for me connotes hog food. When I was working in Davao City, the images of Papa dropping the butong from the coconut tree was good enough motivation to visit Bansalan. Of course seeing the family was the main thing, but the inevitable question before the day was over was, "Pa, do we have butong today?". And before I knew it, bunches of butong were falling like manna from heaven.
My papa Pedio was such a great person, funny, friendly and very giving. I remembered when we had our first rice harvest after we switched our crop from corn to rice. He was so excited when he got his first newly milled sack of rice. By the time he got home, he only have barely half a sack left. "What happened to the rest of the rice?" Mama asked. "Well, I wanted all the neighbors taste our rice." he smilingly answered.
More........
Back in my little town, we don't ride a jeepney or taxi but a tricycle or sometimes a bumpy carabao cart. But it was fun if you don't mind the carabao smell. Watching a movie at Elite Theatre was already a treat. We didn't know that theatres are supposed to smell good, airconditioned, and have padded seats. Seating in the theater balcony was something to brag about to our classmates the next day. We even learned to ignore that pesky peanut vendor inside the theatre, hawking her "mani" in the middle of the show, "mani, mani, mani, mani mo diha". Who would knew that one of these mani-vendors would end up in Netherlands and become the president of ABW (but that's for another blog.)
There were so many things we took for granted back home. The air is fresh and a lot of things are free. When I went to an Asian grocery in California one Saturday, I saw a bunch of malunggay leaves (or kamungay back home). The cost was $3.00 a pound which is about half a kilo. I remembered that we have malunggay trees everywhere in our farm. Anybody can have it for free. Our neighbors don't even need to ask for permission when they wanted some. They just pick them like they own it and we have no qualms about it. But since kamungay is one of my comfort foods I still have to buy it regardless of the price. Besides, Dr. Edith Bautista-Quint has been espousing the many health benefits of malungay. She even wanted to plant malungay all over town as her pet project.
Oh the various tropical fruits like mango, santol, avocado, jackfruit, guyabano, tambis, atis and various varieties of banana. They were everywhere too. When in season, we just bring a knife and climb the mango tree and have ripe mangoes to our heart's content. If you don't own a mango tree, just bring a pintik (slingshot) and harvest the neighbor's mango tree using the pintik. We were skilled pintik users. We could easily hit a ripe mango 20 feet up in the air and catch the falling mango before it hits the ground. We could have won the Pintik Olympics if there was one. Of course, the tree owner did not like that style of harvesting.
Don't remind me of the "butong" (young coconut). It's my favorite especially with condensed milk, soda crackers and ice cubes. I don't call it "lamaw" as some locals would call it because "lamaw" for me connotes hog food. When I was working in Davao City, the images of Papa dropping the butong from the coconut tree was good enough motivation to visit Bansalan. Of course seeing the family was the main thing, but the inevitable question before the day was over was, "Pa, do we have butong today?". And before I knew it, bunches of butong were falling like manna from heaven.
My papa Pedio was such a great person, funny, friendly and very giving. I remembered when we had our first rice harvest after we switched our crop from corn to rice. He was so excited when he got his first newly milled sack of rice. By the time he got home, he only have barely half a sack left. "What happened to the rest of the rice?" Mama asked. "Well, I wanted all the neighbors taste our rice." he smilingly answered.
More........
Comment
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Comment by Leo Moreno on August 13, 2009 at 3:30pm - Thanks Ed. I still can't download my pic for I dont know the mechanics on how to do it. Im still a semi-literate in pc.In some other time, I hope I can post my blog in our social network. I just love to do it. I just missed our town and my friends there. I can't promise anything whether I can visit there this coming xmas break.Of course, I have to revisit our hometown to reaquaint mysef on the places still memorable to me. Bansalan now is so well developed based on the good news of Randy Albores.Quite heart-waming.Hope I can invest there with my hard earned money someday, so I can help propel its economy. Im glad too that Bansalan is now a First Class municiaplity.We really have good reason to come and see Bansalan for the second time around.Thanks Randy for keepng us abreast on the latest news in our beloved hometown.Good job Randy! Again, please accept my warmest thanks Ed for having this Bansalan Website that become instrumental in reconnecting with our fellow Bansalenos in the different divide of the globe. Keep up, more power and stay course. mdz.
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Comment by Ed Bibera on June 19, 2009 at 6:12pm
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Leo,
Thanks for being a true-blue Bansaleno. There's no access restriction in this site. You should be able to post your piece ug pakapini ug picture. Ingat.
Ed
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Comment by Leo Moreno on May 7, 2009 at 2:35am
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Ed,
I just tried to post my blog today but I failed. Just want to know if I have an access to the said blog so I can post my piece. I just need some clarification from you..Thanks anyway and more power...
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Comment by Leo Moreno on March 30, 2009 at 6:37pm
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Ed,
Lets all be thankful that we are from Bansalan and be always proud that we are Bansalenos. Yes, for Bansalan never failed us in our quest for a better life ahead of us. In our struggling years in our hometown, Bansalan offered us all the social infrastructures that help build our physical and mentall capacity to master the art of being competitive and always strive for excellence in whatever things we have done in our lives. During the twilight years of my life, I want to spend my remaining days in our hometown and I am kinda sure about that. Dont get me wrong for being too sentimental Ed,for I just love our place so much.
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Comment by Leo Moreno on March 26, 2009 at 7:31pm
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Ed,
Gimingaw hinuon ko sa atong lungsod pagbasa nako sa imong blog.Yes its nice to recall those good memories when we are still in our hometown for it reminds us on our humble beginning. Basta ako, kon naay mangutana nako nga taga-asa ko, kusog kaayo ang akong tubag nga taga-BANSALAN AKO!!!!!!!
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Comment by Lalay, a true-blooded Bansaleno on March 25, 2009 at 6:03pm -
Edwin,
you are suffering from identify crisis! hehehe
yes, stip whining. Be a Roman when you are in Rome. Be a Bansaleno when you are in Bansalen but be ABW kung mahal gyud nimo ang Bansalan.
Great job Kid! Maayo gyud ning anak ni Manang Lerry uy. Asa kaha nakatuon? sa EJ. Guino-o and Sons?
Lalay
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Comment by Ed Bibera on March 3, 2009 at 3:37pm
- Stop whining!
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