REMINISCIN'

On this day, 11 years ago, the Ocampo family first step foot in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Although many years have passed, I still have lots of fond memories from back home.

I still remember...

• running around topless in our old apartment when I was little

• Teacher Brenda and Teacher Daisy at St. Margaret

• watching Si Goat Da Wonderpul where the goat poops out lots of loose change in this special pail; and also Buyoyoy Da Wonderboy which was just really weird but anyways...

• bathing in the rain (with soap and shampoo!)

• going to the beach then going straight to Timoga (swimming pool) to bulyas (wash off)

• Timoga's billboard:
  
• WELCOME TO TIMOGA SWIMMING POOLS! IS THE LARGEST POOL, IT DEEP TO SWIM, IT'S PEACEFULNESS TO SWIM! (buwahahaha)
• BTW, my mom told her friend in the Department of Tourism about the sign, and the next time we passed by there, it was gone.
  

• spending the day at Tinago Falls

• going to the palenke (wet market) early in the morning and buy palitaw and suman latik- my faves!

• having red hotdogs for breakfast- which btw can be bought here now

• stocking up on Sustagen powdered milk to get lots of freebies when they visit the school

• playing patintero, sagudsud, chinese garter, chinese king-kong, doctor wakwak, tago-anay, japanese game, dakpanay, langit-lupa, sisira ang bulaklak, 7-up and many more

• sleeping to the sounds of frogs, crickets and lizards

• huge, flying cockroaches and beatles

• getting picked up by a service to and from school

• loving Victoria Bakery's cheese bread and chocolate cake

• having recess in the canteen and lunch in the mess hall

• eating this really yummy bibingka in Samar everyday whenever I was there on vacation (As my uncle always said, it was really yummy cuz the maker was kagiron!!! If you don't know what that is, don't worry about it). LOL

• volunteering to count the money from the offertory after the mass at Lolo Boning's convent knowing that he'll give me some afterwards

• bathing in the river behind Lolo's house in San Jorge, Samar where there's supposedly alligators on the other side (I never believed it until I was older when my aunt showed me 'baby alligators' near the 'shore'- is that what it's called even for rivers? Well... you know what I'm talking about)

• having to dig to take a poop then covering it back up :-S

• picking random leaves and flowers so I can play luto-luto; and when I played with a yaya, I would actually have her start a mini fire for me and have her taste what I cooked up afterwards

• houses having either Bermuda or Carabao grass

• being chased by geese at the bottom of the City Hall in Iligan

• being chased by a cow near Tita Shak's house

• being chased by a crazy dog near our house

• Dario and Neneng :-( - I'm sure all Iliganons know who Neneng is (Dario is the one from Tubod)
  
• going to the carnival and Mugna during Fiesta season

• the Rotary Club's annual Bazaar at the Cafe Hermoso where Chinky and I would always chill in the bathroom

• being locked out in the balcony at the Maria Cristina Hotel in Iligan the day before mom's wedding

• pigging out on lady fingers from Excelsior, cream puffs from Michelle's or the ones made by Tita Neneng, cheese dogs from Delecta, chocolate cake from Snack Inn, pork bbq from BBQ Inn and Holiday Park, grilled chicken from Madelicious, esol from Sunburst, spaghetti from Tip Top and Mister Donut, spaghetti with white sauce from ChocoShak, ox tongue from Patio Alejandra, cinnamon rolls from Pop Rocks, chocolate crinkles from Raquel's, sans rival from The Old House, cheeseburger from Enrico's and of course, lechon from Timoga or Bayug!

• going on the hanging bridges in Tambacan and Bayug

• sleeping over at the Sabolboro's usually after parties and playing dress up with Tita Dang's clothes and shoes

• dance lessons at the Abalos Building

• trying to learn how to 'laba' (laundry) manually (hahaha... meaning, no washing machine!)

• everything had to be ironed- even handkerchiefs and underwears!

• getting Alpine White chocolate as pasalubong from Mommy or Papa from work

• having wrigglers in our water in Pala-o (sooo gross especially when trying to take a bath)

• JED Ceramics

• asking Tito Harold for flowers to bring to school

• having to catch our own specimens for science class (ie. insects, frogs, birds, etc.)

• our very loud Volkswagen Brasilia which was originally Blue then re-painted to Off-White

• JUST SIMPLY CHILLIN' AND ENJOYIN' LIFE! Unlike here where people seem to be always rushing, always stressed out and thinking about WORK, WORK, WORK!
  

These are just a few of the many things I still remember about the Philippines, most especially about Iligan. I wish I can visit more often so my children can at least experience even a bit of the fun I had growing up there. I will never let go of these memories because the times I spent in the Philippines were THE BEST TIMES OF MY LIFE!