Tuesday, December 26, 2006

Instead of Simbang Gabi, this is what I did

After almost two weeks of absence from civilization, I'm back.

I was in the province for 9 friggin' days! In the normal world, 9 days would pass by so quickly. Pero sa probinsya, g a n i t o s i y a k a h a b a a a a a a a! It was only 9 days but it seemed like a month to me.

I left for the province last, last Friday. It just happened that that very same week I had a workshop to attend for 4 days so I was really busy the entire week and I was able to pack my things on the day of the flight itself. Good thing my flight was scheduled at 12 noon, leaving me ample time to do my packing. Well, that time, you couldn't really call that packing since I was just hurling everything inside my luggage. Importante lang naman kasi na may damit ako at underwear, of course. I packed clothes that would last me for my entire trip since I don't want to do any laundry there.

I was actually scared to travel alone, sans family. But it was okay. Buhay pa naman ako, diba?

My daddy fetched me from the airport then we had lunch at Chowking at Gaisano (the only mall in Capiz) then went to my aunt's house to "check-in" my things. My cousin, Manang Marimi, invited me to go to The Sampaguita Gardens owned by the artist of Precious Moments.

The Thai House. Sampaguita Gardens
The Sampaguita Gardens is located in Aklan, a whole new different province from Capiz. The travel only took an hour and half, which is pleasantly surprising since in Manila, an hour and a half would only get you to Makati on a good day, without heavy traffic. The Sampaguita Gardens is so nice especially at night where there were christmas lights sprawled everywhere. Of course, it was cute that there were Precious Moments stuff everywhere! The Thai House inside the resort where the owner stays whenever he's in the area is so nice and filled with Precious Moments stuff. Though I think it's really a one-time deal, at least for me, cos once you've seen it, you've seen it already.

Went back to Capiz the next day since it was my uncle's 75th birthday. Actually, after Sampaguita Gardens, we're supposedly going to Boracay but since there's too much pressure from the elders... we decided not to go to Boracay and just attend the birthday party (to which we also arrived late) .

Ah, we also celebrated my lola's death anniversary in my mom's hometown. Okay lang sana kaso nga lang yung tito ko SUPER WEIRD. As in! He was thisclose while talking to me which is uncomfortable. And he keeps pestering me about taking up law again. I politely said "ayaw ko po e... hindi po para sa'kin Law." At anong sabi niya, "Sige lang, sige lang, kuha ka ng law" at iba pang eklat chorva. Nasasakin na daw yun kung magpapa-corrupt ako. She wants me to be like that Evelyn Ursua ata. Nako, kung hindi lang siya kapatid ng nanay ko sinabihan ko na siya siguro ng "Lekat, ang kulit... e di ikaw mag-abogado!" Ayaw na ayaw ko pa namang pinag-uusapan 'yan. Especially if my parents, at most especially pa if my dad is around. It's a touchy subject for me. It was my father's dream kasi for me to be a lawyer and when I withdrew from law school, I felt really, really bad that I have disappointed him. I figured out I can't friggin' last another day there and decided to stay in my aunt's house instead kahit na nakakaguilty since I'll be leaving my father there since he still had to attend to a lot of things.

Last Monday, I went with my Manang Marimi and Auntie Mimi to SM Iloilo. It was a 2-hour ride going to Iloilo but what the heck, it still is SM! At last, a real mall with all those shops and restaurants. There's even McDonald's there. Wow! I missed McDo! But after that, it's back to the bukids for me.

If most of my cousins were still there, maybe it wouldn't be as torturous. I'm thankful that Manang Marimi was there to accompany me and make my stay more interesting and more bearable but it still wasn't enough. Well, what would you do in a place where there's nowhere to go to and nothing to do? Watch TV~ which is what I did. I actually felt guilty that I was just cooped inside my tita's guest room 24/7 either watching tv or sleeping. I was literally counting the days til the day I'll be back in Manila.

Oo nga pala, healthy living ako doon. No coke, no coffee, no junk foods, no processed foods, minimal exposure to pork except during parties where there's always lechon, and etong malupit... I am already asleep even before Deal or No Deal ends. But, even though it was healthy living for me... I still got sick. Maybe because I wasn't drinking as much water.

My cousin's wedding was held in Bacolod. To go there, we had to take a 2-hr ride going to Iloilo then a 1-hr ferry ride to Bacolod. Effort kung effort, diba? We stayed at the Sugarland for the night.

I only got to fit my dress on the 22nd, a day before the wedding. It was sooo tight around the chest area that I thought that I gained more weight but they just got my measurements all mixed up with my cousin. Keri lang kasi nagawan naman ng remedyo.

Another effy thing... my sisters made me bring my own make-up for the make-up artist to use on me but that morning I wasn't able to say that I wanted to use my own. Kasi naman baka sabihin nila ang arte ko. But that was a big mistake for me cos my skin reacted with the stuff she used on my face. Now I have pimples of titanic proportions sitting right in the middle of my face. I should've asked her/him to use my own stuff on my face, it's my face anyway and I should have a say on what could be used on it, right? Eh ano naman kung maarte... hindi naman siya ang may gabundok na pimple ngayon e!

I didn't have a good time during my vacation but what made me sane were... paddy fields. I loved the scenery in the province. There were rice paddy fields everywhere. They're so green and lovely. Nakaka-refresh ang view kaya I love taking road trips even if it takes at least an hour to get from one town to another. I regret not having a camera with me so I could take pictures of the paddy fields.

From my 9-day misadventure, I have concluded that I can't live in the province. Even if I am actually a homebody, hindi kinaya ng powers ko ang provincial life. It's so boring. Roxas City, Iloilo City and Bacolod City combined still do not come close to living in Manila. Mas maingay, mas magulo, may mga lugar na mababaho, mas polluted pero mas gusto ko pa rin dito.

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