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To Market To Market to buy…

For many, a trip to Baguio would never be complete without a visit to the market.  Tourists flock to the market to buy local produce to take home with them.  I too feel that a trip to Baguio would never be complete without a visit to the market.  Unlike tourists, however, my purposes is no just to buy the local produce, but also, to visit old friends and be reminded of my childhood.

When I was a child, my grandmother and mother would take me with them to the Baguio market to buy meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and coffee from their vendor-friends.  When I got older, I would  go to the market on my own to buy things from the same vendor-friends.  Those friends have seen me become what I am today and  are  privy to my  many childhood antics.

Nowadays, when I see those vendor-friends, they would remind me of how I was as a child.  For example, as soon as the ladies at the fish and seafood section would see me, they would remind me that when I was a child, I would always pinch my nose upon entering that section of the market.  Some vegetable vendors would also remind me about  the time I got lost in the market and was later found in the police outpost.  Of course, my mother gets uneasy when she hears this because she was the one who lost me in the market.  Loosing me in the market was more traumatic for her that it was for me.  Then, there is Ray, the guy who owns a meat stall in the market where we get the yummy de recado longganisa (garlic sausages).  My mom updates him on the goings on in my life like when I graduated, when I moved to Manila and I suspect even about my love life.

Apart from visiting friends and being reminded of my childhood, I have always loved the Baguio market.  It has never ceased to stimulate my senses.     (more…)

What happened to John Hay?

After World War II, my grandfather worked at John Hay, which was then being operated as a United States Base. It was off limits to non-base employees for a long time. Luckily, John Hay was opened to the public at the time I was old enough to walk and I spent many wonderful years exploring all that John Hay had to offer.

For some reason, my grandparents would take me to the ice-cream parlor in Scout Hill when the rains were strong and it was very cold. We would eat base ice cream, which only came in four flavors – chocolate chip, cherry-vanilla, vanilla and chocolate. The ice cream was always rock hard and it would take me a long time to finish. On good weather days, my grandparents would take me to the bakery. My grandparents were fans of the loaf bread and pie. The peach pie looked like an empanada that had the non-crusty dough, which absorbed some of the sweet sauce from the peaches, cinnamon, sugar and other things on the filling. It was soooo good. If anyone knows how I can get this peach pie, I’ll give you a prize.

My mom taught me how to roller-skate in the skating rink in Scout Hill. My dad taught me how to play mini golf in course in Scout Hill. My sister and I would also bounce on the trampoline in Scout Hill. We would have picnics and play soccer and baseball with family and friends in Scout Hill. As teenagers, my friends and I would play bowling and pool in Mile High and eat the pizza.

I miss the old John Hay, which is so different from how it is now.

The Best Memory of the 1990 Earthquake: The Café

People I know that have visited Baguio would inevitably tell me that they ate at the Café by the Ruins. Whenever they would rave about the great food and ambience, I would nod my head in agreement but would seldom tell them of my intimate relationship with the Café.

I have now decided to tell you one of my Café stories. (more…)

The Dreaded Bus Rides to and from Baguio

Recently, my family went to Baguio without me as I was tied up at work. At the last minute, I managed to get some free time and I decided to go to Baguio. To my utter dismay, I discovered that no airline flies to Baguio anymore. For some reason, I could not also get anyone to drive me up to Baguio. I had no choice but to take the bus. “What a nightmare!” was the first thought that came into my mind. Followed by doubts about whether I should travel to Baguio. Since I really wanted to go to Baguio, I decided to take the dreaded bus ride.

I dread bus rides to and from Baguio because, on 9 out of 10 times I take the bus, I get dizzy and throw up in Kennon Road or Naguilian.  The bus rides where I am sure to get dizzy and puke are on those buses with pine tree air-fresheners. The smell of those air-fresheners combined with the almost roller-coaster like movement of the bus means only one thing for me – VOMITSVILLE. (more…)

I am a Baguio girl.  I was born and raised there. I spent the best years of my life in Baguio with the people who molded me into what I am today. Sadly, some of those people are no longer around and Baguio is no longer what it used to be.

I never imaged the day would come when I would feel the same way my grandparents did about Baguio. My grandmother was born and raised in Baguio while my grandfather began living there in his twenties.  When they were in their seventies, they would always look at me with sad faces and tell me that Baguio was not what it used to be.  My grandparents would tell me that Baguio was so much more beautiful in the early days.  I was a child then and I could not believe what my grandparents were telling me.  To me,  the Baguio of my childhood was beautiful and magical.  It was the best place in the universe. (more…)

I was planning to post, at a much later time, several articles on Baguio City to commemorate its 100th year as a chartered city.  Baguio bacame a chartered city on 1 September 1909.  I was also thinking of posting Baguio trivia.  For instance, according to this article, Justice George A. Malcolm wrote the Charter of Baguio. According to this article, Justice Malcolm was the first dean permanent of the College of Law of the University of the Philippines. He was also an associate Justice of Philippine Supreme Court. This is probably why that place on the bottom of Session Road that is (or was) used as a public parking area is called Malcolm Square.

As I was thinking happy thoughts about Baguio, I read Padma’s blog and was saddened to learn that a portion of the Baguio market, one of the few places left in Baguio that reminds me of the Baguio I knew as a child, had burned down a couple of days ago.  After reading Padma’s article on the Baguio market, I decided to post the few articles I have about Baguio starting tomorrow. I feel the need to be reminded of home.

I was in high school when I first heard Eartha Kitt sing the Filipino song Waray-Waray. I laughed when I heard it .  Then, I was amazed when my parents told me that Eartha was not Filipino. Eartha sang the song like she had spoken Filipino all her life and understood the meaning of the song.

I had forgotten about Eartha until Neil Gaiman mentioned Eartha’s obituary in his journal.   I never even knew that Eartha had died.  Since the obituary did such a good job of describing Eartha’s life, I will say no more about her except to say that you should read Eartha’s obituary and click on this to hear her sing.

“If Legazpi, Albay is a jar, what would it contain?” is a question I never asked myself the first two times I traveled to that place. It is probably because my Legazpi, Albay trips have never been planned vacations.

On this third trip with Boktor, I ventured on asking myself that question and found that my answer is this:  This jar called Legazpi, Albay contains an Elusive Superstar, a testament to the Filipino’s devotion to God, food trips galore, adventure and lessons in survival.

On the lava trail

This is a picture of Mr. Caloy Chan, the person who brought us to this lava trail.  All around him, the rain is coming down in sheets and steam is rising from the earth.  The jagged black rocks he is stepping on were once hot molten lava. Shrouded in the clouds behind him is the Elusive Superstar, Mt. Mayon.  These were the circumstances we found ourselves in along the lava trail and this is my story.

Although it is not difficult to conceive that people actually hike up to Mt. Mayon, doing it never occured to me.

When Mr. Ketel invited Boktor and me for an ATV (All Terrain Vehicle) ride to the lava trail, I thought that we would just be sitting in the ATV the whole time.  So, I was happy to oblige.  It was much later, when the arrangements were already set, that it dawned on me that the ATV would only take us to where the lava trail begins.  From there, we would need to trek on the lava trail to get closer to Mt. Mayon.  I came to this realization at 2:00 a.m.,  or four hours before we planned to leave for the lava trail.  At that time, Boktor and I were still working, it was raining heavily, I was stressed, tired and wondering how I was going to drag myself out of bed at 6:00 a.m. and will myself to trek under the pouring rain.  I voiced out my thoughts to Boktor and he too was worried about how we would survive the activity. (more…)

Central Pilinut Candy

Pili is a soft oily nut that has a mildly woody taste. It has almost the same texture as a pinenut. As Pili is grown in Albay, many pili products like marzipan are sold in the market.

I have tried many pili products but the best are those from the New Albay Central Pilinut Candy (CPC). I first learned about CPC from relatives who returned from Legaspi and brought back for me CPC products such as sugar coated Pili, Mazapan de Pili, Yema de Pili, Pili Butternut and plain Salted Pili.  As I was curious about that store, Boktor and I visited it briefly on our way back to Hotel Venezia. It was then that I discovered the roasted pili coated in butternut and sprinkled with sesame seeds, which is now my CPC favorite.

CPC is located along Rizal Street in the Old Albay District. The store is actually the living room of an old house. As you enter the house, there is a lanai with lounge chairs and a coffee table. Beside the lanai is the living room, the shelves  of which are filed with Pili products. Displayed on the walls are the pictures of the more popular customers of the  store. Of course, Boktor did not recognize Piolo Pascual.  He pointed to Piolo’s picture and asked me who that was. I looked at him strangely and said, “Hello???  That’s Piolo Pascual ‘no.”  Then, with a bewildered tone of voice, Boktor said, “Oh, ya.”  Obviously, Boktor does not know who Piolo is as he is not jologs like me.  (Read this and this to get a sense of  what jologs means.) (more…)