Dipolog City, Zamboanga Del Norte (in Southern Philippines) -
I woke up early on Saturday morning. Excited to go to the market and buy more marang fruit (somethingl like jackfruit but smaller, the meat is white and much sweeter) and maybe a durian fruit. Peter and I invited our cousin Bootsie to come with us. The three of us walked to the market - about 10 minutes walk. At the market we saw all the marang fruit in season. This fruit only lasts a day or two so it cannot be exported even to the next province or Manila. When you buy it that day it needs to be consumed in the same day. We bought 4 marang fruits for PHP15.00 (about 20 cents each). We also bought a huge durian fruit. Yum!!!
Instead of walking back to the hotel we took a pedicab (a 100cc motorbike with a sidecar that can accommodate 3-4 people inside). Back at the hotel, the three of us went immediately for the durian fruit. It was so yellow and so fat and sooooo delicious! We had about 2-3 seeds each and were quite full after that. But we didn't want to waste the marang fruit so we opened one for the day. Just couldn't help but gush all over the fruit as we ate the meaty seeds. Really ONOlicious!!!
While we were still finishing our marang fruit Nate and family came knocking at our door wanting to go down to the Sunburst restaurant for breakfast. For Peter and I, the fruits were already our breakfast. But for them, it has to be something warm and heavy. So Bootsie, Peter and I went with them. At the restaurant, Nate and family ordered the Filipino breakfast (choice of longganiza, beef tapa, spicy sardines - which Dipolog is known for, and other Filipino meats, with egg). Bootsie, too, ordered the same. While Peter and I just had something to drink. Later, Peter brought down the mangos we also bought at the market.
After everyone has had their fill and was raring to do something we separated ways: Nate and Neala to the internet cafe next door, and the rest of us to the Dipolog Mall (very small) to buy stuff we needed for the wedding and to snack on later. We only had a couple of hours before we were going to be picked up by the Groom. After the mall, Peter and Bootsie went to take a nap, Nate and family were still at the internet cafe, while I lounged in front of the TV.
By 12:30 pm we got ready for the wedding. Cousin PingPing arrived from Dumaguete a few minutes earlier and was having her lunch at Sunburst so we all went there and kept her company. It was close to 2 pm (the time the wedding was supposed to begin) when the Groom arrived. It was also about the time the Bride was coming down the hotel stairs to get to her Bridal car. So the Groom had to close his eyes to make sure he doesn't see her before the wedding. Anyway, by 2 pm we all, including the Groom's family, were on our way to the church in Galas.
The wedding was a typical Filipino wedding that incorporates a regular mass with communion. Peter and I were secondary sponsors in charge of lighting the candles. PingPing was also one and was in charge of the cord. At this wedding the priest also served as the cantor and the "american idol" song leader. He really had a great voice. Peter thought it was funny to hear the priest sing as if he were singing at a karaoke bar. After the wedding he even rendered on love song dedicated to the newlyweds.
The reception was held near the city at the Convention center. The room was small that tables were added outside to accommodate the rest of the guests. The Roble clan were too late to find seats inside so we ended up sitting outdoors. There lots of people, lots of food and lots of fun. Peter spoke in behalf of the Roble clan. After about 2 hours the party ended. Cousin Bootsie missed the reception due to a stomach ache (from the fruits we ate that morning, her body wasn't used to eating fruits like Peter and I do so she didn't feel well enough to sit through the reception. It's our fault for persuading her to eat that early in the morning. :-( ).
We walked back to Camila hotel and rested for the night. Later on though Nate came to our room to eat the rest of the marang fruit we bought that day. It was so hilarious when Peter tried to open one of the fruits. He had a hard time opening it up that Nate and I were screaming with laughter seeing him struggle so hard just to pry it open. Early that morning cousin Bootsie simply pried it open with her fingers and it came apart. This time Peter had to get some good leverage to open it - only to find out it was not ripe! Ha, ha, ha.... Nate tried the other one and in one crack it opened up willingly. All the more we laughed because of Peter's hard luck with the unripe fruit!!! :-D But, boy, the ripe fruit was truly delicious.
That was Nate's last night there. It was good that we were able to spend some time with him. (Neala and Nyvia were at the internet cafe next door till late. So we didn't get to see them before they returned to Manila.)
P.S.
Nate told me that what I wrote about eating more than 4 times a day here in the Philippines is not an exaggeration. It indeed is true, he said to me. People we've visited have fed us so much in a day that the reality of weight gain is not too far away. :-P
I woke up early on Saturday morning. Excited to go to the market and buy more marang fruit (somethingl like jackfruit but smaller, the meat is white and much sweeter) and maybe a durian fruit. Peter and I invited our cousin Bootsie to come with us. The three of us walked to the market - about 10 minutes walk. At the market we saw all the marang fruit in season. This fruit only lasts a day or two so it cannot be exported even to the next province or Manila. When you buy it that day it needs to be consumed in the same day. We bought 4 marang fruits for PHP15.00 (about 20 cents each). We also bought a huge durian fruit. Yum!!!
Instead of walking back to the hotel we took a pedicab (a 100cc motorbike with a sidecar that can accommodate 3-4 people inside). Back at the hotel, the three of us went immediately for the durian fruit. It was so yellow and so fat and sooooo delicious! We had about 2-3 seeds each and were quite full after that. But we didn't want to waste the marang fruit so we opened one for the day. Just couldn't help but gush all over the fruit as we ate the meaty seeds. Really ONOlicious!!!
While we were still finishing our marang fruit Nate and family came knocking at our door wanting to go down to the Sunburst restaurant for breakfast. For Peter and I, the fruits were already our breakfast. But for them, it has to be something warm and heavy. So Bootsie, Peter and I went with them. At the restaurant, Nate and family ordered the Filipino breakfast (choice of longganiza, beef tapa, spicy sardines - which Dipolog is known for, and other Filipino meats, with egg). Bootsie, too, ordered the same. While Peter and I just had something to drink. Later, Peter brought down the mangos we also bought at the market.
After everyone has had their fill and was raring to do something we separated ways: Nate and Neala to the internet cafe next door, and the rest of us to the Dipolog Mall (very small) to buy stuff we needed for the wedding and to snack on later. We only had a couple of hours before we were going to be picked up by the Groom. After the mall, Peter and Bootsie went to take a nap, Nate and family were still at the internet cafe, while I lounged in front of the TV.
By 12:30 pm we got ready for the wedding. Cousin PingPing arrived from Dumaguete a few minutes earlier and was having her lunch at Sunburst so we all went there and kept her company. It was close to 2 pm (the time the wedding was supposed to begin) when the Groom arrived. It was also about the time the Bride was coming down the hotel stairs to get to her Bridal car. So the Groom had to close his eyes to make sure he doesn't see her before the wedding. Anyway, by 2 pm we all, including the Groom's family, were on our way to the church in Galas.
The wedding was a typical Filipino wedding that incorporates a regular mass with communion. Peter and I were secondary sponsors in charge of lighting the candles. PingPing was also one and was in charge of the cord. At this wedding the priest also served as the cantor and the "american idol" song leader. He really had a great voice. Peter thought it was funny to hear the priest sing as if he were singing at a karaoke bar. After the wedding he even rendered on love song dedicated to the newlyweds.
The reception was held near the city at the Convention center. The room was small that tables were added outside to accommodate the rest of the guests. The Roble clan were too late to find seats inside so we ended up sitting outdoors. There lots of people, lots of food and lots of fun. Peter spoke in behalf of the Roble clan. After about 2 hours the party ended. Cousin Bootsie missed the reception due to a stomach ache (from the fruits we ate that morning, her body wasn't used to eating fruits like Peter and I do so she didn't feel well enough to sit through the reception. It's our fault for persuading her to eat that early in the morning. :-( ).
We walked back to Camila hotel and rested for the night. Later on though Nate came to our room to eat the rest of the marang fruit we bought that day. It was so hilarious when Peter tried to open one of the fruits. He had a hard time opening it up that Nate and I were screaming with laughter seeing him struggle so hard just to pry it open. Early that morning cousin Bootsie simply pried it open with her fingers and it came apart. This time Peter had to get some good leverage to open it - only to find out it was not ripe! Ha, ha, ha.... Nate tried the other one and in one crack it opened up willingly. All the more we laughed because of Peter's hard luck with the unripe fruit!!! :-D But, boy, the ripe fruit was truly delicious.
That was Nate's last night there. It was good that we were able to spend some time with him. (Neala and Nyvia were at the internet cafe next door till late. So we didn't get to see them before they returned to Manila.)
P.S.
Nate told me that what I wrote about eating more than 4 times a day here in the Philippines is not an exaggeration. It indeed is true, he said to me. People we've visited have fed us so much in a day that the reality of weight gain is not too far away. :-P
posted by Mimi | 3:13 PM
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