my parents' 50th

There was no big church wedding, no weekend getaway....in fact, we didn't have to travel far  for my parents' big day. Thankfully, living near the UP Diliman Campus truly has its perks as the kiosk or gazebo inside  Church of the Risen Lord was the venue for the golden wedding anniversary. 

 Old photos, wonderful memories, a   fellowship of family and friends, warm prayers and  lots of laughter filled the air that hot March afternoon. 

 There was no big budget but we paid attention to the small details and asked friends and family to participate in setting up the whole event.  Old photos came out of the various storage places and were hung on a string or place in  frames  accumulated through the years, golden balloons were glued to the ceiling, a tarp announced the precious event and  mementos the couple had picked up through the years and various travels were scattered all over -- a testament to the love that has lasted through the years.

Ultimately though, what made the afternoon was not in the details but  the happiness and the wide smiles of the celebrants. Here's to 50 more years, Pepz and Bethzie!

 Photos courtesy of Mark Cortez, Paul Fabregas, Ned Canlas.

Kitty Favorite

Trust the expert! Spotted in a Baguio pet store, this kitty sure knows what cat-food brand she wants and it's the same one our kitty cats go for :)

Lubong (Part 2)

"It'll be a while till we come back here."
"This is so good I need to stock up."
"I may never pass this way again, kaya let's bring home some of this!"
"The people at home just have to try this!"
Whether it's chorizo, lechon, danggit from Cebu or marang, durian and suha from Davao; mango and bangus from Pangasinan; bagnet and longganisa from Vigan, sweet surprises from Pampanga etc. bringing home pasalubong is something we Pinoys so love to indulge in. Pasalubong gives us a chance to relive the memories of the place we visited and a chance to indulge in the delicious delights we experienced there.

Here's more wonderful pasalubongs from all over... Enjoy!!

Pampanga's Best - They say that the Kapampangans have a sweet tooth and need to have   "mayumo"  to make their day. And my answer to that is, "hindi naman masyado". hehe.

My favorite tibok-tibok from Susie's

A slice of heaven

Susie's is home not just to tibok-tibok but also mochi, pasta, puto pao, kakanins, dinuguan at marami pang iba

cool, refreshing buko sherbet --- perfect for a sunny (or rainy) day

look, ma, no spoon! for those who can't wait till they get home

near the Bacolor church is a little sweet shop that churns out tasty delights including their best-seller, 
the sinful sans rival 

buttery-nutty goodness...

want to satisfy that sweet tooth? Rosing's near Nepo Mart has sweets in every size and variety

 

Nathaniel's buko pandan sherbet in green containers have made their way to QC but a trip to San Fernando and other Pampanga malls still won't be complete without a peek at their other tasty goodies

if you want a respite from all that sweetness, camachile from the tree is available along the Pampanga highway

 

Liliw, Laguna - It's not just shoes and slippers that you'll find in Liliw. Naah ah, not if the street vendors can help it. It's always a pleasure to guess what they have in store   as you walk up and down the slipper and shoe-filled avenues....

Bonete! Buttery goodness, piping hot and straight from the  oven from the only bakeshop that serves them in Liliw.

Fern or Paco -- perfect for salads

Kesong puti -- perhaps imported from Sta Cruz is the perfect palaman for   hot pandesal

Talangka - i do love talangka but these ones seemed to small and payat for me

honeycomb - i keep wondering but keep forgetting to ask what i can do with it

honey -- the finished product

duhat!!

woven wonders to match your newly-bought tsinelas or shoes

Pagsanjan, Laguna - Sweetened calamansi? Matamis na kundol? This little store that's just a stone's throw away from the bridge after the Pagsanjan church (on the way to Luisiana/Cavinti) has made a career out of preserving fruits and veggies. Grab a bottle, or two or three, and start churning out that crushed ice to make your own halo-halo.

a peek at the different bottles of sweet is already an education

atsara side-by-side with the sweeties

the sweets lady

macapuno!

jackfruit

There's so much more to share -- I'm currently loco over suman na pinipig and garbanzos from Marilao, Bulacan. How about you, found anything new in your latest adventures? Pa-share!

Salagubang!

A salagubang (June beetle) wandered into our tiny garden one sunny day and brought with it memories of childhood. 

A wise old soul, it played dead so we would let it go. 

We did. 

Hopefully, he or she, won't land into another garden where they see salagubangs not as a pet or play thing but something to munch, crunch and swallow. 

Byaheng Bonifacio, Tara Na!

I love Jose Rizal, there's no question about it. But Andres Bonifacio? He's my rockstar hero!  That's why as he turns 150 years this 2013, I am going to make sure that I finish the Biyaheng Bonifacio, Byaheng Bayani ng Bayan pilgrimage. With four sites already visited in Cavite, I only have 12 more to go!  Tara na and join the fun.
                              

Step 1 - Get a copy of the Bonifacio @150 Brochures from any of the following:

1. National Historical Commission – Office of the Historic Sites and Education Division

2. Department of Tourism – Information Office

3. Department of Tourism – Regional Offices

Fortunately, my aunt's a real trooper and she visited the DOT Information Office in Manila to ask for a couple of brochures. They generously gave her more than she requested. Taking advantage of the Holy Week break, we made it a family affair by motoring from Bay, Laguna to Maragondon, Naic and Indang in Cavite to visit the four sites that were closest together. 

First Stop - Trial House,  Col. Riel St., (Poblacion), Maragondon, Cavite. 

It was Black Sabbath and the Trial House where Andres Bonifacio and his brother Procorpio were tried hastily was closed for the holidays. Fortunately, the caretakers and the local Tourism group were waiting for the Bonifacion 150 Group  and let us in. 

After a very filling lunch, we made our way to the Execution Site in Mt. Nagpatong in Marogondong. One of the guides, Kuya Jimmy, accompanied us and the Bonifacio 150 Group up to where the Bonifacio brothers were supposedly excecuted.

 

 Our visit to the site was highlighted by an improptu lecture from the historians and Bonifacio enthusiasts. What a lucky day! 

 

 Next stop: Casa Hacienda de Naic,  Brgy. C. Nazareno, Poblacion, Naic, Cavite or as the brochure says, "the building where Bonifacion stayed after the Tejeros convention and held the 'Naic Military Agreement; or 'Acta de Naic.'"  The Bonifacio brothers were also imprisoned here after they were captured in Indang.

Last stop for the day:  Pinagbarilan,  Brgy. Limbon, Indang, Cavite was where Policarpio Bonifacio was killed and Andres Bonifacio was shot and then stabbed in the neck. Andres and Procorpio were captured and later sentenced to their fate. Set atop a hill, tricycles and other motor vehicles pass by, seemingly not aware of the historical significance of the location.

Day 1 of Byaheng Bonfacio done, looking forward to accomplishing the next. If you want to take the Bonifacio @150 walk, here's the guide and link to it:
http://www.tourism.gov.ph/Pages/20130306ByahengBonifacioByahengBayaningBayan.aspx