A great food experience for me, my wife Flor, daughter Karen and son-in-law Mark Ghill Fabre Cando and grand daughter Luan Tiffany Hernandez Cando. I have tasted again foods that I haven't eaten for a long time. They play also pipe-in music of all Filipino composition songs and singers. A really rare Filipino experience in terms of food and music.
FILIPINO FOOD AND MUSIC
AT CABALEN FOR 300 PESOS
MY 22-day vacation to Philippines with my wife from July 21-Aug. 11, 2017 was the most hectic but very enjoyable and unforgettable one, surpassing the 2011 vacation.
Right from the very first day of vacation, July 22, at 8:30am, we go (20 of us including the driver of a rented van) to Tagaytay, the pineapple capital of the Philippines. While eating lunch at Bulalo Restaurant, we were offered 11 pieces of medium size pineapples for 100 pesos! In Palau, only one pineapple costs already double of that (200 pesos). It’s my first time to be there and I didn’t realize how progressive it is now with no tricycles on the main road, only electric tricycles which is environmental friendly. We dropped the others in Muntinlupa City (my sister-in-law Marivic, her daughter Kristel and husband and their son Kobe, Harold, my brother-in-law Bernie and his daughter Cathy. My daughter Karen and her husband Mark stayed in Quezon City and we bring with us Karen’s son from Jamir—Zach and their daughter Luan Tiffany to our house in Hagonoy, Bulacan for another 3 hours trip.
The next day, I was able to attend the Sunday services of the Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Halang Hagonoy, Bulacan locale where Pastor Susan Lopez is now the head pastor. She started the PMCC Palau Locale together with Pacific Coordinator Pastor Gallagher Concepcion in 2005. After lunch, Jamir Gregorio, the father of my grandson Zach, said he can’t fix/reformat my new and old laptops so I asked Welhem Belgar to look for a good technician. He’s got Louie, who was able to download Chessbase 14 to my new laptop. He was able to get it for free instead of paying 80 Euros. My BFF CM Joselito Marcos bought a CD of that one last year from Germany for $150.00. I asked Louie to download first the Swiss Perfect software because I’m now the one doing the pairings of the succeeding Palau chess tournaments as Jeff Balbalosa is not doing it anymore.
On July 24, me and my wife Flor together with Zach and Tiffany meet Karen and Mark at SM Shoemart North EDSA to have lunch together, buy toys for grandkids and new cell phone for me –Samsung J7 Prime worth 14,000.00Php ($280.00).
On July 25, I and Flor meet her cousin Tess “Bunini” Reyes at Robinson’s in Malolos City. She gave us more or less 10 kilos of ripe mangoes like he has given us all in our vacation in 2015. She is with her granddaughter and we invited her for lunch but she refused. We just give her chocolates, Tupper ware set that I won during PRR 2016 Christmas party, and cash for the girl. After they left, we had lunch at Pizza Hut of medium size pizza, green salad and cucumber drink.
I started to update my 1,405 posts at http://palau-chess.blogspot.com upon the recommendation of my BFF CM Joselito Marcos. The photos now are Extra Large which makes it better to view—the Chess in Palau, music, heritage, traditions, FIDE events, national championships, etc.
The internet connection is fast that’s why I took advantage of it. In Palau, I will spend more than a hundred dollars to update those.
Flor bought a new 42” TCL television for 14,900Php in July 26. The new dining table and sofa set is coming on Friday, July 28 in the afternoon it will be delivered. Karen visits us and we have female crabs worth 800.00Php or $16.00. Welhem cooked those in coconut milk and we have lunch and dinner of fat crabs. Male crabs are bigger but not fat as female ones.
The next day July 27, Flor, Vilma and Karen go to Divisoria, a place to buy cheap retail goods/clothing. Flor bought me 2 denim pants, 5 sandos (undershirts), T-shirts, 2 shorts, and 1 long sleeve shirt that I will use for next Sunday worship at PMCC. While they are shopping there, I took care of Tiffany and Zach while updating the chess/music posts when they are busy playing.
I went to the town hall to get my Senior Citizen I. D. The residence certificate costs only 7.00Php but I need to go back on Tuesday for the issuance of my I. D. together with 1 more photo as I have provided them with only 3 photos. I forgot to use my business card photos for it. While I am updating the chess/music posts in late afternoon, the dining table and sofa set come. I thought they will not fit at the door but they were assembled by the workers of the furniture company. I asked my wife Flor and Welhem if they feed the workers. They said yes and gave them tips also.
On Saturday, July 29, my brother Romy invited me to attend their Classmates Reunion of Hagonoy Institute Class 1974 in Kapitangan, Paombong, Bulacan. I’m 2 years older than him. I and my younger brother Jerry were dropped by Welhem at the spot where a small bridge is under construction that cause lots of traffic. We ride in Jordan’s nice Toyota car together with Nanang Guya and Tatang Subring, who been married for more than 50 years. I gave her PRR white towel and 1,000.00Php to each of them. They were dropped near a river for a boat ride home. Jordan, Romy’s youngest son, gave them another 1,000.00Php.
When we reach the venue of reunion, I put the shochu that was given to me by my Korean roommate to the spot where the drinks are located. There is “tamales” on the table and I ate a lot of it because I haven’t eaten that for more than 20 years. I took a lot of photos of Romy and his classmates. Jerry thought of a perfect idea. Since we are 3 brothers already there and our youngest one, Bernie, is just a few miles away, he called him and in 30 minutes, we have a mini reunion of our own! Bernie came with his only daughter Hannah and his wife Ester.
We sang karaoke songs with Jordan and Hannah singing new songs while I, Romy, and Jerry are singing old songs. In the song “Devoted to You” by Everly Brothers, Bernie is singing it. It’s a duet song and there is only one mike. We shared the mike and sung it beautifully with harmony. There is a mango tree where we are singing karaoke. When strong wind blows, we pick the big green mangoes that fall.
When I sang the Japanese song “For You”, at least 4 classmates of Romy know the song, too. Minutes later, it was sung again by 2 different ladies. When it’s time to go, Bernie, Hannah and Ester left in their tricycle. Jordan and I gave Hannah 500.00Php each.
While on our way home, we agreed while inside the car to visit our nephew Willy Calonzo in his house in Pandi, Bulacan to settle the issues of a small part of land in Hagonoy. We will meet at a Eurobake Bake Shop in Tabang, Guiginto, Bulacan on Aug. 5 at 9am. Jordan dropped us to our house and I resume the updating the chess/music posts, where I am more than halfway already.
I attended the Sunday service of PMCC wearing the new white polo shirt that Flor bought for me. It’s high tide and the town market is flooded. I wear a slipper and brought my shoes wrapped in plastic bag. Before entering the church, I wear the shoes. I took 11 photos of the brethren, gave my tithes (500 Php), love offering (100Php) and another 500Php for the construction of Shiloah building in Marikina City. I didn’t attend the Evangelistic Night and resumed the update of chess/music posts.
On Monday, July 31, I help Welhem in painting the house with green-like-avocado color. I took off the sliding window and replaced the rotten woods with used thin plywood put together. While doing that, an old lady asked me if I am renting the space where the computer shop of Willy used to operate there. She is looking for a place to stay and said she can pay the monthly rental through the money being sent to her by her son abroad. I just said the issue about the ownership of that place will be resolved next Saturday when we will have a reunion to settle it.
I was able to get my senior citizen I.D. on Tuesday afternoon, Aug. 01 with my grandson Zach. I was given 2 booklets to record the items that I’m buying in big department stores or drugstores. In the buses or jeeps, there’s no need for those except if the bus conductor ask for it. Lately, I was able to use it in Light Rail Transit (LRT).On Aug. 09, 2017 (Thu.), a day before going back to Palau with my wife Flor, we had late lunch at Cabalen Restaurant that serves Filipino dishes (buffet) for only 300 pesos ($6.00).
I and Flor had a good time for food trip. We have good appetite. It is also the first time that I ate again snails cooked in coconut milk for more than 30 years! There are grilled catfish, too. There are more side dishes, drinks and lots of desserts and 4 kinds of fruits –papaya, watermelon, bananas and sliced pineapples.
Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
December 29, 2002 -- November 09, 2017
Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
The Beginning of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
Soon to be published as a book
Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
Tia Belau Newspaper
March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
April 25, 2013 -- November 09, 2017
The History of Chess in Palau
By Roberto Hernandez
June 09, 2002 -- November 09, 2017
