It’s just 3 months since my last visit to Isabela and I’m back on the trail up my father’s hometown. There are three things which never fail to make me pack my “bayong” pronto, hop in the backseat of my parents’ car, endure 8-10 hours drive and risk indigestion from eating jollibee and chowking every pit stop.
First….I super love the food! There’s nothing exquisite in the dishes except that my aunt has a way of transforming ordinary ingredients to extraordinary meals. I’ve been on a diet for weeks now coz when you’re being a bum, there’s really nothing to do but whip up some recipes and do the sampling all by yourself. I’ve done my share of boxing and working the treadmill to drop unnecessary pounds but Goodness! All efforts turned out to be rubbish coz I wasn’t able to say NO and walk gracefully away from those heavenly meals. I don’t regret it though, I had a great time and I simply adore my aunt’s cooking.
Second…. I love the people! Wherever I go, smiles and cheerful comments are generously given. There are so many I couldn’t remember and others I haven’t met but they all have stories to share; stories about our previous visits (when my sister and I were still very little), things about my father, his family…etc. I can’t help but blush, be embarrassed and be humbled when folks tell me that I grew up to be a pretty lady. Adoring looks, genuine interest in what I do, and desire to introduce themselves are some of the things to expect when we make courtesy calls. A couple even said that I look like a tv personality (awww, must be the hair :p ). People accept you with open arms and shower you with invitations for lunch and dinner. To top it all, we left town loaded with freebies…veggies, orchids, chicken (both alive and slaughtered), farewells and blessings. I simply love and treasure their hospitality. And of course, I respect that ilocanos are very hard working as well.
Third…. I love the simplicity of life. I love visiting Isabela because it’s a place where I can always get down & dirty (in a wholesome kind of way, hehe) and be closer to nature. During our first day, my father said he’d make me plant coconut trees along the edge of his property (when we were younger, he made me and my sister plant corn! “Won’t go swimming if you don’t learn to plant” – his words back then . Off we go and ants attacked me. None of those mattered the next day though coz I was busy splashing away in the resort.)
Anyways, my mom and I took the 2kms trek along the stretch of cornfield and found that the deed is done. Lucky me! There’re cowpoop all over the place but I didn’t mind. I was too busy reveling in the perfection of greens to notice. After meals, I always make sure to do the dishes. I so enjoy using the manual pump in a shed outside my lola’s house. Instant exercise ito! Where else would you manually pump water, just so you could take a bath, but in provinces? Electricity is not something new there but they don’t have streetlamps yet, so everything outside is pitch black. My lola’s abode is situated a couple of feet in front of The farm and when you go outside, you could feel the night breeze coming from the fields. It’s kind of relaxing and spooky at the same time. My imagination kept going on the scary scenes of “Night of the Living Dead” and “Jeepers Creepers”. I don’t know what it is about the province that folks go to bed early. We would go to bed as early as 8 or 9 pm during weekends and 10 or so (after Sa Piling Mo) on weekdays. Imagine how hard it is for a night creature like me, who usually sleeps at 2 to 4 am, to sleep. Actually, it’s not that hard. I just have to crack a little open my right eye and see nothing but pure darkness to encourage me to start counting sheep and wish for sleep to take pity on me. Come morning, I’d wake to the combined efforts of chicks and roosters’ crowing, must be 6 am. It’s been over a month since I got up that early. It’s really unusual for me but I do welcome the refreshing change. I remember tagging along my mom and aunt to the town’s wet market. I don’t really get it why my mom thought she should mention to my dad that I would be going in my tees and shorts. I mean I’ve been in that market before and I’ve seen people wearing the same thing. Good thing, my aunt, lola and dad said it’s just ok. The place is a bit small but it’s relatively clean and organized; meat in one wing, veggies in another and dry goods elsewhere. It’s really nice to shop there, plus I always liked the bibingkas that one particular lola sell there. Hay, What more can I say? I just know that I have a soft spot for a simple adventurous life..
