Zambales Weekend

People, I have had a great weekend. Even though it was but an ordinary weekend - no holiday, work-free day or whatever - considering it being November 1 and all (tsk!), I felt that the day has to be spent differently. Off we went to San Felipe, Zambales, my father-in-law's hometown where hubby's grandma is buried at the local cemetery. I would have wanted to go home to Bicol for the traditional undas but this year's Nov 1 sucks. It didn't even fall on a work day. I took a half day off from work because Zoie's ate (aunt really) went home to visit her mother's grave. So, I was a full time mom for 2 and a half days. Let me tell you, I've never realized until now what a little chatterbox my baby has become. She only stopped talking when she fell asleep!

What's different and great about this year's undas is that this is the first time that I didn't get scared at all. Normally around Oct 31, every year actually, I'll start becoming anxious and would often feel paranoid that a spirit or spirits of relatives will come to our house and haunt me. And there's the traditional halloween brownout from Meralco (which didn't happen at our place. Thank God!) not to mention my acute awareness that it is the day of the dead. Okay, I shouldn't be mentioning this but even if I've lived the 3 decades of my life already, I am still afraid of ghosts. I don't watch local programs whose themes are all centered to the ultimately scary. And before my grandma died I asked not to please visit me and she promised she wouldn't. That's kinda weird but she has kept her promise except for the occasional whiff of her smell which is really seldom but never fails to give me goosebumps. She may doubt it but I do miss her and I don't want to think about her because it makes me cry. Maybe if she's surfing the net from her place there in heaven, she'd be able to read this blog and I won't wait till I'm dead to explain her that. And I'm still having doubts if I could tell her because I don't know where I'd end up. Hehe.
Anyway, back to the story. At 4 in the morning, we were already on the road. I love NLEX and SCTEX. Adrian kept the speed to a hundred. It's illegal to go any faster and we have a little girl on board. We stopped at a gas station for gas and coffee. Why did I ever buy that large cup of cold coffee?! I forgot that in college that's the only beverage that keeps me awake all night. So, I ended up talking all the way to Zambales (guess saan nagmana si Zoie?).
Too bad, they had to blow up a few hills for this (SCTEX).

We stopped at a grocery store in Subic, Zambales. Yes, folks, the Subic that we know is different from this Subic. The Subic that we know is actually in Olongapo and there is a town after Olongapo called Subic. So if ever someone tells you that he or she's going to Subic and your mind has already been opened up to this truth, you'll end up asking that person, "in Olongapo?" And then you'll get that "of course, weirdo!" look from that person. Har har! I bought milk for Zoie at the grocery store and used up all my cash. The only ATM there was Metrobank. I really hate BDO during pay day. All their ATMs are either not working or a line a mile long is attached to that ATM and with your luck (mine pala) I'd end up with an empty ATM. So, the whole undas I was cashless and at the mercy of my mother-in-law. I could not buy anything and couldn't wait till the next day so I can withdraw cash again. I don't know why but I feel really weak without the cha-ching! cha-ching!

The weather was great that day. It wasn't sunny but it wasn't raining just an occasional drizzle. The house was big and lonely without Lola. Whenever we're in the province, we live at the second floor. The first floor is occupied by the caretakers. There is the tumba-tumba or rocking chair which I noticed was wedged on the windowsill. Malay mo nga naman baka gumalaw and wala naman nakaupo. I saw our wedding pictures in a frame. Yuck, payat pa ako dati! The kitchen was unusually spacious before I noticed that the old ref was missing. Dinala na daw ni uncle sa farm niya. I stayed mainly inside Lola's room na may aircon (figures! hehe) and read the third book of the Twilight series. Hubby is scared to stay at the second floor alone but I wasn't. Ang nakakatakot lang sa house was that the stairs leading to the second floor is very much alike to the stairs where Lotlot saw her dead body being dragged by Lotus Feet in Feng Shui! That's why I'd rather stay inside Lola's room. I didn't shoot a picture of that, I might find Lola standing there.

Zoie played with her dollhouse and all the Hello Kitty and toy trains there while I waited for them to call us to eat. The food that I look forward to whenever we're in the province is the chicharon or sitsaron which is really deep-fried pork. But there's a secret to how it's cooked that's why it costs 500 pesos a kilo. Raw pork is only 150 but people seem to really go for the chicharon because as soon as it's laid down at the market, people are in a hurry to buy them even if they end up paying thousands for a few kilos. It's great sahog to Pinakbet and Munggo. Next time I'll post a picture of the chicharon. Sarap kasi you'll forget to take a picture. Excuses! Excuses!

The next best thing that I've eaten was the boneless flying fish daing. Super sarap. Super garlicky. Although I ended up feeling a little itchy after eating the fish (don't blame the fish. I get like this everytime I eat seafood), no regrets.

Can't fly no more.

The third was the kamias fruit straight from the tree. There were a few hopeful looks that went my way as I munched on the sour fruit dipped in salt. Sorry, di po ako naglilihi. The sourness actually left my mouth numb for a few hours.

We went to the cemetery for just a few minutes. It was so different. In Bicol, I stay till almost midnight at the cemetery but it only took us 10 minutes to visit Lola's grave in Zambales. Well, different family, different tradition. The sad thing this year was that I wasn't able to offer anything to the church for the undas. Nada!

We left early the following day. We stopped by the "bukid" first. It's a piece of land owned by Adrian's family. There are mango trees planted there. Some older than me. Sad to note that they've already sold their cow so I didn't see her there. Poor cow.

There used to be a bahay kubo here. sigh***

Adrian stopped somewhere in Castillejos, Zambales so I can take pictures of President Ramon Magsaysay's house. The trike drivers watched me take pictures. A man was walking towards me before I got in the car. Sabi ni nanay baka raw bawal to take pics. Eh di takpan nila ang bahay. It's on the side of the national highway kaya. I liked the old church beside the president's house. It has more character.


Okay, my camera didn't do justice to this scene. But if you're passing through, it feels like you're in another country.

We went to SBMA. The Subic that we know. I didn't feel like eating giant tacos so we didn't stop by at the Coffeeshop Restaurant (read about this in a previous entry). I was surprised to see that there were other restaurants that offer jumbo tacos. You'll know if you're in Subic already when you see the name Gordon all over the place.

Tsk! Still no BDO ATM so hubby had to withdraw from his account because I was growing weaker by the minute. No cash... empty wallet... can't breathe...

The Royal Subic supermarket is my favorite tourist spot in Subic. Tourist spot daw! Hahaha! For a grocery shopaholic like me. This is the highlight of my day. I can just picture the giant cans of Piknik shoestring potatoes in my arms. That's bigger than those in the local supermarkets here in Manila ha.

For lunch, we ate at Dear.Soup which is obviously Korean-owned since sandwiches there are described as "portable." If I may correct, THEY ate their lunch there. I waited for my lunch until I found out a staff went out to buy bread for my clubhouse sandwich! My mother-in-law's loud "oh my God!" was enough to make them cancel my order.

Dear Soup, if you don't have bread in your supply, do tell me, because I just bought some and they're in the car.

Hubby went with me to Royal and I bought myself chicken shawarma. The first shawarma stand has no change for a thousand pesos. I mean, who the hell doesn't have change for that money. It almost has no value anymore! It's for the better really because I just had the most satisfying chicken shawarma from San's (Korean-owned, I presume) and it's only 55 pesos compared to my clubhouse which would've cost me more than a hundred bucks.

After my satisfying shawarma lunch, we went to the Bat Kingdom in Cubi. Or rather, what used to be the Bat Kingdom.

Where are the bats? Hey, Halloween is over!
The tree branches used to bow down with the bats' weight.

I don't think Zoie respects this rule. Hehe!

I actually told Zoie that there are no more bats because they served it up all here. I wonder if it'll affect her the same as when a child grows up and finds out that there really is no Santa Claus.

There were no monkeys either... just a few crows. Where are all the monkeys? Are they still at the monkey cemetery?

And what is this creepy golf bag doing there in the middle of nowhere? Makes me think of a scene from a horror flick.

If it weren't for the heat, I would have stayed and looked at the peaceful scene... not to mention the pink ship. So kikay!

Haay, Subic looked so desolate. After driving through Subic and constantly bugging hubby to put on his seatbelt and some drama from Zoie because she wanted to stay where I was (my throne. front of the car.), I tranferred to the back and ended up with a darker complexion because of the heat. The drive back to reality was peaceful.