(March 14, 2013)
Several decades ago, young & old alike would enjoy the heat and
adventures of summer in a very basic, plain & simple manner. Unassuming,
modest & unpretentious, exhausting what is available with just the basic
commodity that is commonly found in the household &the environment.
Time was when everyone welcomes any visitor or guest into their abodes,
welcoming them with delicious home cooked meals, and humble hospitality that is
unparalleled beyond comparison & words.
I had my own share of this modest “Southern” hospitality when I used to
have my annual summer vacation in the beautiful and tropical paradise &
lush island of Camiguin teeming with coconut trees seen from the 5 hours boat
ride (if my memory serves me right, from the port of Cagayan de Oro).
It was always a vacation worth the almost 3-4 days boat (not again!)
trip from Manila, together with my siblings. My grandma, mom & dad would be
at the Benoni port waving at us in the early dawn when the sun is just about to
“say hello” making the island more beautiful.
With the clear & pristine water that we can almost see what is
under (seashells, corals, small fishes, starfish, name it!) is like calling us
to dive & splash into the chilly & cool sea water so early. But of
course, we would postpone that until we unload our stuffs at home, have our
sumptuous authentic Pinoy breakfast that consists of freshly catch fish or
“inun-unan” , grilled fish or even bulad (dried fish), eggs, steamed rice along
with sikwate (hot chocolate sweetened with condensada) made from our old but
dependable baterol. And if we are lucky enough, we would have some suman and
fresh mangoes as “sera-gana”. What a wonderful treat!
Tocino, tapa, hotdogs, corned beef were not the fad then although
sometimes, we get to savour native chorizos. Eggs were either scrambled or
sunny-side up that is splashed with some ketchup, naturally!
It was also during breakfast when we get to talk and tell stories of
our student life in the city to everyone’s delight. You know, we were proud of
being “from the city”! I remember we have this large wooden sliding windows
made of capiz shells that is open all day. We even have “bentanillas” on the
lower portion of the huge windows that helps in cooling our nipa-topped roofs.
Assorted greens , mostly flowering plants like bougainvillas &
African daisies would be found on most windowsill (including ours)all over where
it catches the morning or afternoon sun and help beautify everyone’s simple houses.
There will also be “paragayo”(also called as san Francisco) everywhere
specially if there is a vacant space where they were used to act as fences.
Most windows would also have colorful curtains that kind of block the
afternoon’s heat from the sun. Most doors within and inside the house also have
curtains (for privacy purposes?) that are changed so often, depending on the
affair.
It was always the beach we would hit anytime of the day. Suntan lotion
or sunscreens were unheard of. The sun would not prevent us from getting out of
the cool water until we become so red, sore and sunburned. Well, maybe unless it was time to
eat!
We would pick up colorful shells or some unique stones along the
seashore to bring with us. I can still think of the time when we would go
exploring and caressing colorful starfish in assorted sizes since they were so
abundant in the knee-deep water. If we are lucky, we also get to grab some
seahorses! That was amazingly remarkable!
In the open air, we might catch some butterfly in the garden or
fireflies with the use of a crudely made net during late afternoon when it was
time for them to come out. We would put those lighting insects in a bottle,
lots of them and use them as our temporary “lamp” for the night. Eventually, we
will set them free at a later time. And we would do this little joyful
activities from day to day.
Chickens and pigs were abundant in our backyard, so we also get to
“touch & feel” them as we like. I remember feeling bad every time we have to
slaughter them. But on a better note, we get to eat “farm-fresh” and
organically grown meat! It was pure delight & excitement to see our chicken
laying their eggs! And if they were left to be hatched, we get to see &
feel the “chick-chick”, as my youngest daughter use to call them.
Going into the “kalasangan” or “kabayabasan” was another thrill since
we get to relish & appreciate fruits at its finest! Fresh and
pesticide-free! Common fruits then would be the guava (bayabas!), banana,
mangoes (pajo), tambis, star apple, chico, manzanita, santol, and balimbing
(star fruit).
If we ever get to visit the more “bukid” areas, we would have our taste
& fill of fresh buko, picked from the trees! And sometime we even get more
than we bargain for, like corn, banana and kamote, which is usually steamed and
eaten as is. It would be timely if we get to eat fried banana or camote, which
tastes a lot better!
Snacks in the afternoon would be puto-maya, biko, bibingka, suman
(pilit or bulanghoy), kiping (how I love this plate-thing!), sinaging, and
sometimes, nilung-ag na saging with guinamos! Sometimes, it would be “kulo”
with latik!
By 6pm, we can hear the church bells ringing and as we face where the
church is, we would pray the Angelus together. Then it was time to go home and
have dinner. Over oil-lamps or “petromax”, we will gather around the dining
table made of hardwood. Our chairs would be a long slab of wood and sit side by
side. Kabisera will always be for my grandma. The other side would be my mom or
dad. Talk about romantic dinner!
Dinner will be something that is cooked that last for a few day since
we have no refrigerator then, like adobo (pork, if we get to buy meat on Sunday
because they are sold only once a week!), fish, seafood (maybe squid, octopus
or shells), vegetables (usually kangkong, beans, sayote, nangka, ampalaya,
petchay, upo, kalabasa), steamed rice and glass of water. Soft drinks is usually
reserved for fiesta. I remember tuba was sometimes enjoyed by the elders.
But since month of May is fiesta time in Camiguin, we get to receive
large slices of pork or beef from friends. In fact, we were also given cooked
dishes like humba, paksiw, letchon, embotido, hamonada, chicharon, and kakanin like puto, bingka, suman, and fresh
fruits. So, we are indeed lucky to have all these Pinoy foods on the table for
almost the whole month of May! What a life!
Wonder if we can go back in time to enjoy the simpler pleasures in life
where time is not a concern and enjoying God-given nature is at its best!
Happy Summer!!!!
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potsnpans1976@yahoo.com
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