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This blogger decided to spend Christmas 2009 in his hometown in Masaguisi, Bongabong Or. Mindoro, not only to reminisce his younger days thereat, but also to prepare his retirement place comes March 2010. His wife Rose was supposed to be with him in this trip, but she got food-poisoned at the Church Christmas Party on Sunday before Christmas where she was rushed to the hospital. She seems well at the time of my travel, but she did not go as she may not be able to cope-up the rush-crowd of commuting across the sea.
I spent my first night in Calapan City where one of my sisters reside. Calapan is so progressive nowadays, with it, is the increasing cost of living in the area. Then I proceeded to my real root in the coastal village of Masaguisi town of Bongabong Oriental Mindoro. This birthplace of mine was accessible only by motor boat some 45 years ago, but now, it takes only a ride (van) from Calapan to Masaguisi with much better roads than ever. The village is fully lighted (with electricity), and almost all households has a free-flowing water system (as water-table in the area is shallow).
It was a real Noche Buena sans my immediate family (who were then in Baguio, California and Japan, and wife Rose in Nueva Ecija), with those native delicacies prepared by the ladies, and hmmm, time to take a shut of BAR, a popular brand of wine in the area, where the boys (nephews) really enjoyed openly (as they can not just drink wine without special reason like this), as a matter of family culture.
On Christmas time (Dec. 25), I joined the Masaguisi Church of Christ in celebrating the birth of the Lord through morning worship service, a "tradition" in this local congregation since time immemorial. Then, in the afternoon, I and my only brother Sammy (of 11 brood) inspected our farms where I plan to construct a resthouse comes my retirement in the summer of 2010. The spring-well constructed then by my father when I was still in grade school is still very good and serves its purpose. Some tenants hired then by my parents are still there, and seem to stay there for life. Some of my relatives who are interested to till the land want them out, but these people asserted their "rights" though the area is not covered by Philippine tenancy system (or agrarian law).
On Dec. 26, I was invited to speak in the early morning devotion held in a household of Ate Astely. After that at around 7 AM, I travelled back to Nueva Ecija with short stopover in my brother-in-law's house in Calapan, who send me off to pier where I took 11 AM schedule of Starline. Upon reaching Nueva Ecija, I received calls what boat did I take, as it was the same day (Dec 26, evening) when M/V Baleno Lines capsized somewhere in Verde Islands where 6 died and 63 missing (as of this posting).
Upon reaching home, I got sick perhaps due to the stress and rigor of commuting as well as lack of rest. At my age, commuting seems not convenient anymore. As this is a sort of pre-retirement trip, I would better know what to do next time. (30)
I spent my first night in Calapan City where one of my sisters reside. Calapan is so progressive nowadays, with it, is the increasing cost of living in the area. Then I proceeded to my real root in the coastal village of Masaguisi town of Bongabong Oriental Mindoro. This birthplace of mine was accessible only by motor boat some 45 years ago, but now, it takes only a ride (van) from Calapan to Masaguisi with much better roads than ever. The village is fully lighted (with electricity), and almost all households has a free-flowing water system (as water-table in the area is shallow).
It was a real Noche Buena sans my immediate family (who were then in Baguio, California and Japan, and wife Rose in Nueva Ecija), with those native delicacies prepared by the ladies, and hmmm, time to take a shut of BAR, a popular brand of wine in the area, where the boys (nephews) really enjoyed openly (as they can not just drink wine without special reason like this), as a matter of family culture.
On Christmas time (Dec. 25), I joined the Masaguisi Church of Christ in celebrating the birth of the Lord through morning worship service, a "tradition" in this local congregation since time immemorial. Then, in the afternoon, I and my only brother Sammy (of 11 brood) inspected our farms where I plan to construct a resthouse comes my retirement in the summer of 2010. The spring-well constructed then by my father when I was still in grade school is still very good and serves its purpose. Some tenants hired then by my parents are still there, and seem to stay there for life. Some of my relatives who are interested to till the land want them out, but these people asserted their "rights" though the area is not covered by Philippine tenancy system (or agrarian law).
On Dec. 26, I was invited to speak in the early morning devotion held in a household of Ate Astely. After that at around 7 AM, I travelled back to Nueva Ecija with short stopover in my brother-in-law's house in Calapan, who send me off to pier where I took 11 AM schedule of Starline. Upon reaching Nueva Ecija, I received calls what boat did I take, as it was the same day (Dec 26, evening) when M/V Baleno Lines capsized somewhere in Verde Islands where 6 died and 63 missing (as of this posting).
Upon reaching home, I got sick perhaps due to the stress and rigor of commuting as well as lack of rest. At my age, commuting seems not convenient anymore. As this is a sort of pre-retirement trip, I would better know what to do next time. (30)
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