Caroleen’s Treasures

I was hoping I could make this post as short as possible so as not to bore you all. The only thing that could make it possible would be to let pictures talk, so here goes my post about our 10 day vacation to Davao and Kabacan.

We left Trento at 11am last October 27. Donald was dreaming about boarding the King Long bus but we are not so lucky. After an hour, we stopped by at Monkayo for lunch at the usual restaurant. Ella decided to stay in the bus because she just wanted to lie down. So down we went inside and ordered our lunch and when I turned around I saw her coming in looking for me. I kept reminding Ella to eat fast so we won’t be left by the bus which she’s good at.

After 3 hours, we finally arrived at Davao. We got off the bus at Panacan where my sister Crislyn’s place was. She and Cheche were beaming to see the bag full of rambutan. It was agreed that we will bring Ella along for my third check-up and ultrasound so she could see the baby too but when she saw her tita’s, she changes her mind. Since we are in a hurry to get to the clinic in Matina (which is a good 30 minutes taxi ride), we let her stay. It was already 3pm when we get there and I was crossing my fingers that my OB would do the routine check up quickly so we could still get the ultrasound done at the same day only to find out that she was not in the clinic (which I later found out from my sister Crislyn that it was my OB gyne’s birthday) so we went straight to do the ultrasound only to be told that they can’t accommodate me and that I should be back the next day. If only I knew, we could have stayed there at my sister’s place to chat and nap too.

Since we were close to SM, we decided to go there to get a glimpse of a mall. We were checking on the sale items at infant’s section and I was about to purchase a pair or two when I changed my mind. Maybe I just wanted to look at those baby stuffs and when I get the satisfaction of holding them, I put them back in the rack. Or maybe I was just hungry because I tagged Donald up to the food court for merienda consisted of rice and kinilaw. It was too early for a dinner but he decided to eat rice too. After a satisfying meal, we went back to Panacan with Ella’s donuts in hand.

The next day, we left early to apply for my SSS membership. We did not bring Ella with us because we are expecting a very tiring day with lots of jeepney rides. At 11am we are done at SSS so we went to Learning is Fun in Lanang. I bought Ella four workbooks since I was not really happy with their school books. I got it 20% cheaper since I am a dealer. In the afternoon, we went back to the clinic and my OB was not still around so we did the ultrasound and was pleased that the baby is very much fine. Her heartbeat is normal and the sonographer said it was like a boy. I am now 100% convinced that it was.

The following day, Thursday, we tagged Cheche and Ella with us since Crislyn and my BIL has a wedding to attend in the afternoon. This day I am very full. Donald was craving for pizza at Greenwhich so without any fuss, I gave in. I actually don’t like pizza that much but I love their garlic sticks.

Then we went to do some window shopping and after burning out excess fats, we headed at KFC for an early dinner.

Donald could not care less since we are living in the boons with no food like what he wanted, so I let him indulge. After all, he deserves it since he works hard and I know part of the reason why he works hard is because he wanted to eat what he wants when we get there.

Before going home, Ella asked if she could ride the train and since she was asking for it for over a year now, we let her try and experience it.

Ella was happy that at long last she got to try it and so there are no pouts when we headed home. My sister Crislyn’s MIL just got out of the hospital and we brought her fresh and hot bibingka (rice muffins) from SM and I think she and Uncle Tony liked it so much.

The next day was very stressful for me since it was the day that Donald keeps on bugging me to go home to Kabacan. As I always say, he feels really at home there and claims it was his hometown and the people there are his relatives when in fact it was me who came from there. I tried to explain that it is not wise to go there because we are low in cash. That day Crislyn informed me that there are still around $40 left from the money I earned which I sent to her paypal for Cheche’s tuition. I excitedly said we could all use it for our fare but then I realized Cheche’s enrolment is coming so I sadly said we will stay so she could enrol. But hey God is good all the time! Just when I was convinced by Crislyn that we should all go home for the All Soul’s Day to visit my mother’s grave, manong Nolan (my cousin’s husband) sent a message to Crislyn asking if we are going home. So we ended up hitch riding in their car except for my BIL who followed the next day.

Friday came and it was the day we are going home to our hometown. We are all excited especially Donald. Our meeting place was SM and we were there earlier. After some window shopping, we had lunch at McDo. Ella was asking me why we are not trick or treating and Donald explained we don’t believe in Haloween. The debate goes on and on each time she sees some kids dressed in Haloween costumes. Good that we bought her a small pack of chocolates which she gobbled that kept her mouth shut.

We then went to do some more window shopping until Donald sent a message that he was at World’s of Fun with my Manong Nolan and his son Biboy. We went up and Ella enjoyed the games and we all enjoyed the bump car ride.

When it’s time to go, we all packed in the car with our baggages and bunches of flowers which we bought from Bankerohan. I was thankful we did get flowers there because the price is doubled when it reaches Kabacan.

When we get there it was almost 7:30pm. I feel I am back from the real world. While we are still in Davao, we sent a message to our cousin that we are coming and requested grilled eggplant for dinner which my aunt prepared. I love it!

The following day, November 1, I arranged the flowers to bring to gravesites of our loved ones. Ella helped me and she did a very good job. By 10:30am, we were all packed inside the van to visit our cousin’s gravesite.

I don’t believe in bringing foods at the gravesites but my uncle did bring some and a bottle of softdrink which Ella tried on talking to my dead cousin’s picture that she will have a sip.

When we get back to my Grandfather’s place by noontime, Ella played with Hans (my cousin’s baby) and she keeps on asking me if her baby brother will look like him.

It was the birthday of one of our cousins and she prepared dinner for everyone but before we went to her house, we visited Papang Alfred first and I was surprised that he knows us. They say he can’t recognize people after his last hospitalization. He even asked me, “Kumusta ka na? Sabi nila buntis ka raw?” (How are you doing? They said you are pregnant?) Papang Alfred seemed to feel better. He even sat when we arrived there and asked me to scratch his back.

Mamang Ising holding thier youngest grandchild, Ralph, who looks like Papang Alfred. Of course what else could we do than sit there and talk but to EAT. This is our favorite past time and Donald loves being there because of that and the endless bonding with cousins and pamangkins.

When it started to get dark, we all lined up the road for my cousin’s birthday dinner.

 

Aside from the food, I missed the videoke too.

Sunday. We attended worship service there and Ella went to Mamang Eling’s grave before leaving for the chapel. She showed Mamang Eling her shoes and dress. She was very sweet and brought a glass of water the next day we arrived there. She said Mamang Eling might be too thirsty and needed a drink. Then she went back the next day with a plate of food and even asked me to open the gate again so she could bring her a handful of dried fish.

After the worship service, Donald grilled the African Hito (African Catfish) that one cousin bought. While waiting for the food, everyone was busy doing their own thing. I was carrying Hans and others are chatting. To Donald, it was the BEST meal he ever had. The food was just simple dishes but it could be special when shared with “crazy” cousins.

For dinner, we had a wonderful time at Papang Alfred’s because they prepared a dinner for Biboy’s birthday. ‘Twas a simple dinner but again, when shared with “crazy” cousins, it could be extraordinary.

The thing we hate when going home there is that we do not want to leave. Everyone was not in the best mood to go back to reality and if only my BIL has no work, they could have stayed until Tuesday too. But since he could not be absent for so long, he and Crislyn (together with our niece Mgel) headed off to Davao.

I was craving for siopao so in the afternoon, after the rain stopped, we went to eat siopao with cousins and Cheche. Then I visited Steph (my blind friend) and spent more than a couple of hours there catching up. While we were chatting, Ella played with Steph’s daughter and Donald was chatting with Steph’s husband too. When it’s time to go home, Donald was telling me “I know you are still in August happenings.” and I grinned because it was so true. It was really hard to summarize all the things happened within the months that we don’t see each other.

Tuesday. I packed all our stuffs in the morning and tried to straighten our small room there. There are tons of things that I still needed to decide which to keep and which to give away. I had maternity clothes that a cousin gave (there are also some that are borrowed) which I also tried packing in a small bag along with the baby clothes. Plus we are bringing the wall fan and steamer which would really make us pay more in the bus. Anyway, I’d rather pay some more pesos for the baggage than buying news stuffs like these.

After lunch, rain started to pour real hard and Ella was very suprised when Donald pushed her in the rain. There was a look of confusion on her face why Daddy did that when we are saying NO each time she asks to bathe in the rain. When Donald said she could play in the rain, she was very ecstatic. It was not planned that I join her but why not try it?

It was such a fun experience and I enjoyed it too. After the rain stopped and we are all dressed, we bid goodbye and off we headed to the bus terminal. It was already dark when we arrived at Crislyn’s place. The next two days was spent by Ella playing around and bonding with her tita’s. I also had some great finds at the malls. I have bought baby clothes, socks and mittens. The baby clothes are on sale on some department stores and since the brand is POOH, I bought some. SM only have white POOH baby clothes so I was very happy to find some clothes in powder blue, yellow and pastel green. I tell you, I was really convinced it was a boy. If it was girl, then she could wear Ella’s baby clothes, so there would be no problem. Plus it is better for a baby girl to wear blue than a baby boy to wear pink.

Donald was again bugging me to go home to Trento on Friday and I was telling him that it would be best to go home on Saturday. Since it was Ella’s sembreak, why not give her a real break. She loves being there at her tita’s and Ella has not visited her Grandfather in Donald’s side. He was ill and perhaps they missed Ella too. At first Donald don’t like the idea. Like the last time I tried convincing him to visit there, he said they could visit next time. When would be that next time? I insisted we should go there because we might not be able to come back later this month. When it was time to go, the rain poured so hard that I decided I will stay. Since I already said to Ella that she will be seeing her Lolo and Lola and her tita’s there, I coaxed Donald to go even if it’s raining hard. I bundled Ella and off they went.

I spent the time without them lying in bed since my belly hurts a bit. When they came back, Ella has many type of loot. Some sachets of Milo, a bunch of bananas, mangoes and a piece of orange. Plus she showed me her money from her Lolo, Lola, Tita Kitkit and Tita Dobi. She has P500 in her coin purse which she intends to buy stuffs for the baby. I told her Daddy and Mommy will be the one to buy and that she should keep her money.

The next day, we had an early lunch and began getting ready to go home. All were packed already the day before. When it’s time to go, Ella was very silent in the taxi and when I asked her why she looked so sad and teary-eyed, she said she’ll miss her tita’s. I hugged her and told her we will be back soon.

Donald was still dreaming about riding King Long and he was disheartened when a King Long comes across our way to the terminal. When we get to the terminal, Ella saw this store selling siopao and she tagged me and said, “Ililibre kita My.” (I will treat you Mommy) She knew I crave for it and she was so sweet to say that but I don’t like green colored siopao. Maybe it’s not siopao but it looks like one. So I told Ella I can’t eat the green siopao and headed inside the terminal area. I got so excited when I saw that the bus waiting is a King Long! At last it was a dream come true to Donald.

When we get to Tagum, an hour away from Davao, Donald gets off the bus to buy siopao and Ella’s donuts. He also needs to use the restroom so when Ella woke up and found out that Daddy was not in his seat, he asked me if Daddy would buy her donuts. When Donald came back with the food, Ella said, “Sayang, bumili ka na Dy. Ilibre ko sana kayo ni Mommy.” She still thinks of treating me and Donald from her own money.