IMHO

Weekend "Guests"

Days 3 and 4
4 and 5 March 2006

I woke at a quarter past 4 a.m. to the tap-tap-tapping of the door…for a second I thought it was the hound of hell sent last night to torment me while my arms were full with various audio-visual appliances. It only turned out to be Jeryc, Lex, and Marichit, frozen delights after having spent a few hours on Victory’s Deluxe version of a Siberian train car and the chilly BC weather outside. They enthusiastically complimented the improvements made upon the house, we chatted until 6, everyone went back to sleep, and JJ P(h)ad (not to mention its current resident) was happy to have people in it once again.

The new arrivals awakened very much later to the aroma of my famous pancit bihon – which, even on foreign shores, has enthralled even Buddhist tastebuds despite its discreet admixture of various meats and meat products. Apparently one very happy evening the week before, I’d had one too many measures of alcohol and mentioned this feat with much pride, and suddenly I was being called to make good on my boasts by expectant friends (I have no recollection of ever having promised this meal to anyone, which, given the presence of alcohol at the evening’s gathering, was par for the course). And thus they enjoyed brunch of “Buddhist bihon” sans soy sauce (I’d accidentally broken the only bottle in stock a couple of visits ago and neglected to replace it), soft Valley Bread pan de sal, and Vietnamese spring rolls. My appreciative friends decided that I should take on some culinary career up here; I revealed Neyney’s and my dream of opening a Baguio backpacker’s barbecue place and received an overwhelming positive response. Made mental notes to ask my chef friend and fellow BC fan Carina about business opportunities as soon as possible.

We spent the rest of the day scouring satisfying our overactive appetites and scouring the shops of SM Baguio (!), with everyone managing to score some item or another before we headed off to Session Road. Lex and I heard anticipated Mass at the BC Cathedral, and later met up with the Garcias for more conversation at a coffee shop overlooking the crowds on Session Road. As part of the Panagbenga Festival, the main artery of Baguio’s commercial district had been closed down to host sidewalk cafes and stalls selling various merchandise. Although the crowds were gargantuan, the goods being sold left much to be desired – more Divisoria than Cordillera, but then again, Divisoria is many miles away and hardly accessible to most BC consumers. The day seemed comfortably long – hard to imagine that we’d done so much in but a few hours.

The next morning, after an evening-early morning capped off with more lengthy conversations and house renovation (Lex managed to finally finish the infamous red wall, which now looks fabulous, and I attempted to paint, and strip the paint off, the unfortunately unfinished main door), we had yet another late brunch of scrambled eggs and corned beef rice before heading off to purchase more pasalubong at the Good Shepherd Convent. The mystery of the anti-theft device was finally and oh-so-nonchalantly solved: one end is attached to the clutch. Duh. Today allowed a lot more leisurely lounging-about, so we spent a few more hours eating, talking, shopping and just appreciating PNKY on Leonard Wood. This group of people I was blessed to spend the weekend with consisted of some of the most interesting conversationalists I know, and we spent quite some time talking enthusiastically about life, love, and the pursuit of one’s direction. Once again, I was vastly enriched by the gift of company.

No visit to BC is complete without a trip to the market, one of my favorite places, and Jeryc reminded me of the wonderful fact that, as a BC “resident,” I can come back to this trove any time I wish. They shopped for take-home treats like blankets, peanut brittle, and strawberries; I purchased everyday essentials like a kilo of rice and a solid block (Lex was at the same time amazed and thoroughly horrified) of lard/cooking oil. We retired to the Phad for the last night of festivities, and enjoyed a pleasant but simple dinner by candlelight of my version of Tom Ka Gai (chicken fillet in lemon grass and coconut milk soup, spiked in this case with hot Tom Yum spices and mushrooms); a salad of butter lettuce, cucumber, shallots, and chili tossed in Thai dressing; tender pork tapa and laon white rice, fresh strawberries, and red wine. Whoever said that as budget-conscious backpackers we should deprive ourselves of the better things in life?

After the repast, Jeryc managed to put together my bane of the other night – the Ikea plastic bag receptacle – in 45 seconds (as opposed to my frustrating 45-minute spatially challenged ordeal). Lex was so inspired in these last few hours that he painted the “hambas” of the red wall area with a very appealing first coat of caramel and rearranged the living room furniture to create a “separate space.” It all looks so gorgeous. The plan is for JJ Phad “occupants” (I hesitate to call them visitors or guests, for they in fact already have invested some time, effort, and affection in making this house very pleasantly habitable) to contribute something representative of their art to the place – Jeryc has promised a photo/s for the “Garcia” room and Lex, aside from a Kurosawa-like photo to grace the “Chichi wall,” is likewise supposed to sign the wall itself once the “ham-bas” are finished. Before they headed back on the bus ride to Manila, I encouraged these “first official occupants” to leave something at the house that they would like to come back for – a symbolic gesture of “co-ownership” and an indication that they are always welcome, and are in fact expected, to return. I remain deeply moved that Lex left an unfinished book of meditations, Marichit her Book 6 of Fables, which she has yet to read (if you know M’chit and her passions, this is a heartwarming honor), and Jeryc, my anak, his precious Swiss knife – for after all, the next big trip will be to Kalinga on April 1, with BC as a jump-off point, with a very pleasant but simple dinner to start us all off. What better place to begin – and end – our adventures indeed?

posted by Honey Oliveros @ 2:41 PM