Back from the Visayas Region

Warning: a long post

When my officemates asked me, where had I been and I just went to work yesterday. My answer would always be.. Visayas. I don’t wanna tell the three (naks! Three daw!) places that I’ve visited. Actually, it’s only two. Gusto ko three, bket ba? I still count Leyte. I saw their church, and the wet market. So counted na yun. Hehehe.

Two of my favorite cousins got married last Dec. 29 and Jan. 6. One in Cebu City and the other in Roxas City. These two cousins of mine are the 1st two grandchildren in my father side. And I’m the third. So, napressure ako bigla. Hahaha. Of course, I would like to be next. Hahaha. When people asked me before when I would get married? My answer is Feb. 2007. So it would be December, January and February. But as my cousin told me, it’s not really the month that mattered. They’re just a week apart. So your wedding date should be just a week after. Hmmm.. that might be the reason why my wedding didn’t push thru (duh! As if I have a bf to get married to. Hehe).

With the long vacation, especially with nothing to do except to eat and sleep, I realized a lot of things. Some of these are:

Even i regularly hear mass, I still don't know how to be a commentator. for both weddings, I was the commentator/lector yet there are still eroors. Contrary to the chismis that Randall's wedding is my practice and DP's wedding is my performance, I feel that for both it is still practice. Mali-mali. Hahaha. Sorry talaga dear cousins. I just really don't know how to be a commentator.

It’s a known fact that I would like to live in the province. Weird ako. When every Filipino likes to go out of the country, me, I would like to settle in one of the provinces. After being in Cebu, Leyte (talaga naman. hahaha) and Roxas this past week. I think it’s really Cebu for me. Even if they said that it’s like Manila, Cebu is still different. There’s still something provincial about the place. Hehe. But I still never know… I could end up in a province that has no electricity. (I can’t imagine myself! Hehe)

Even if I’m going to Cebu since time immemorial, I think I still haven’t been to its tourist spots such as the Magellan’s Cross and the Taoist Temple. But for those who have plans of going to Cebu in the future you should try eating at Harbour City (I’m so happy for my 1st day Cebu, I’ve tasted their rice toppings again. Well, not in harbour city but in Ding Qua Qua. But it’s still the same.) For the pasalubong for your family who you’re going to see agad, give them Masi. My all-time favorite. It’s not really a known food for non-Cebuanos. It’s not a usual pasalubong coz nasisira siya agad. But it’s yummy, somewhat like tikoy with nuts inside :)

I am blessed with my family. Eversince, I already know that I am blessed. But the past week made me feel that I’m really blessed to be a Racho. Starting from my titos and titas to my cousins. Wala ako masabi. Bow ako. My father’s siblings are really kind, mabait and selfless. I’ve discovered this way before pa. Even if my father is like that, they still love my dad. Though he would hear regular sermons from Tita Baby, still he is loved and never abandoned by his siblings. Proof that they are not selfish with one another: when other families would fight for their inheritance. The Racho siblings do not fight. I think they would even give their share to one another. They are not millionaires (I just don’t know with Tito Boy, hehe), but they would still not be greedy about their inheritance.

Another discovery... my father’s family are quiet. I didn’t notice that before til my tita’s family (who had been my dad’s neighbor) pointed it out Telling us that when they were kids, they would not know that there’s a person in the other house, until my Lola would sneeze. Hehe. It’s just then that I realized that they are a quiet bunch and the noisy ones are their wives (Tita Mellie, Tita Virgie, Tita Pennie and my mom). Hahaha.

My cousins and I were like reminiscing about how joyful our childhood Christmases were. That they are beyond comparison. Every Christmas and May (Tagbilaran’s fiesta), the whole family would go to Bohol. So Christmases were always fun. This went on til early 90’s coz Lolo Dinoy already died, and it’s like it would be expensive already. Now, our Christmases are like pale coz we miss the Christmas when we were kids. I thought it was only us, yun pala even our other cousins like Kuya Randall feel that way. Kuya Randall, enjoy ka pala nun khet na nagbabasa ka lang? hehehe. Joke lang! Love you! So because of that I proposed something to Kuya Randall: that when we have kids of our own, we would have a reunion every Christmas.

What I’ve realized when I’m already in Manila.. the reminiscing that happened didn’t really have scenarios. We just reminisce how enjoyable and happy it was but we didn’t really say what happened during those times. Labo noh?

All of us grandchildren want to go back to Tamblot (my grandparents’ house) and restore it to its glory (and also show Eric all the rooms. Wawang bata. Di pa raw niya naikot lahat ng kwarto). My dad and his siblings are thinking of selling it, I think. Wala nga silang pakialam sa mga mana nila diba? Hehe. Lyn and Julie, convince Tito Boy not to sell it and just give it to us the grandchildren. Let’s have our reunions there again. Then for the farm, let’s plant and make it a business. But Kay, no marijuana. Adik ka talaga! Hehehe. Lyn and Julie, when you go back here in the Philippines (October ba?), let’s have a grandchildren business meeting, okay? Naks! Hehehe.

We cousins are close even if we don’t see each other often (especially us who resides in Manila). We would just see each other when we were kids twice a year yet the bonding is different. My cousins’ cousins on the mother side said that they’re not close with our cousins because they don’t see them. Ganun din kme. But still, we have bonded. And we guys have matured. Before, 1st days would always be awkward especially since we don’t speak Bisaya. But now, it’s like we have seen each other just yesterday, and even if they speak in Bisaya, my sister and I (I just don’t know with Eric) would somehow understand them.

Whew! What a long post. I still have lots to say but I don’t wanna bore you anymore. Thank you for reading this, if ever you read it nga. Hehehe.

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!

and Congratulations to Kuya Randall and DP! Welcome Ate Giselle and Kaye to the Racho Family!