I came across Ate Joyce’s bulletin in Friendster entitled "Maalaala Mo Kaya…" ("Do You Remember…" to my shallow translation) and read through a checklist of treasured mementos from my golden age. I assume this was one of those anonymously forwarded emails/posts modified from its original version. Anyways, I was reminiscing deeply and thought I’d make this entry a bit interesting like a show and tell presentation like back in elementary school. And while Googling for images to associate with this entry, I bumped into a similar blog called "Blast From The Past" from the creative mind of the Caterpillar. She had already posted her version and simply puts it as "I’m not advertising. i’m simply reminiscing." Sigh, simply classic… simply "old skool." Read on…

Nung Ikaw Ay Bata, Nagawa Mo Ba To?
*kumakain ka ba ng aratilis? (umm… I remember pokin’ it from the tree for fun but I never liked the taste)

*nagpipitpit ng gumamela para gawing soapy bubbles na hihipanmo sa binilog na tanggkay ng walis tingting? (lol… I bought the real ones from the bottles instead cuz I can never blow bubble from the walis tingting)

*pinipilit ka ba matulog ng nanay mo pag hapon at di ka papayagan maglaro pag di ka natulog? (I’d cry or "fake cry" it like a baby but it hardly worked)

*marunong ka magpatintero, saksak puso, langit-lupa, teleber-teleber, luksong tinik? (I mastered tumbang preso, step-no, doctor quack-quack and futbol/soccer which is actually called kickball. Haha!)

*malupit ka pag meron kang Atari, Family Computer or NES?
*alam mo ang silbi ng up, up, down, down, left, right, left, right, a, b, a, b, start? (I only had NES and I admit being cheesy w/ that cheat combo to skip to the next stage. Haha!)

*may mga damit ka na U.S.E.D., Boy London, Cross Colors, Esprit, Blowing Bubbles at pag nakakakita ka ng Bench na damit eh naalala mo si Richard Gomez? (Nah… I was lucky if I even had a good pairs of "tsinelas" or slippers)

*addict ka sa Rainbow Brite, Carebears, My Little Pony, Thundercats, Bioman, Voltes V, Mazinger Z, Daimos, He-man at marami pang cartoons na hindi pa translated sa tagalog? (you forgot Ghostbusters, Voltron, G-Force, Transformers and oooh Cedie: Ang Munting Principe)

*nanonood ka ng shaider kasi nabobosohan mo si annie at type na type mo ang puting panty nya? (Haha… guilty as charged! Tsaka yung robot nyang pike. Nakalimutan mo yung iba pang Japanese superheroes like Ultraman, Magmaman, Machine Man and Mask Rider Black)

*marunong ka mag wordstar at nakahawak ka na talaga ng 5.25 na floppy disk? (Ano yung wordstar? Pamaypay na yung 5.25 floppy disk)

*inaabangan mo lagi ang batibot at akala mo magkakatuluyan si kuya bodjie at ate sienna… (Didn’t Kuya Bodjie move to another children television called Bulilit?)

*nung high school ka inaabangan mo lagi beverly hills 90210? (Wala na ko sa Pinas nung high school)

*gumagamit ka ng AQUANET para pataasin ang bangs mo? (My aunts all had that ’80s bangs… haha)

*meron kang blouse na may padding kung babae ka at meron kang sapatos na mighty kid kung
lalake ka? (Ewan)

*nangongolekta ka ng paper stationaries at mahilig ka magpapirma sa slumbook mo para lang
malaman mo kung sino ang crush ng type mo? (Hindi eh!)

*kilala mo si manang bola at ang sitsiritsit girls?e si luning-ning at luging-ging? (you forgot Kiko, Irma Daldal and Kapitan Basa)

*alam mo ibig sabihin ng time space warp at di mo makakalimutan ang time space warp chant? (Di ko alam pinagsasabi mo)

*idol mo si McGyver at nanonood kang perfect strangers? (I always mix him up with Knight Rider. Magkamukha kasi sila)

*eto malupet… six digits! lang ba ang phone number nyo dati? (madalas pa nga kami magpalit ng phone non eh)

*nakakatawag ka pa sa pay phone ng 3 bentesingko lang ang dala? (‘di na nga uso payphone)

*cute pa si aiza seguerra sa eat bulaga at alam mo ang song na "eh kasi bata"? (I still know how to do the "Aiza pose")

*inabutan mo ba na ang Magnolia Chocolait eh nasa glass bottle pa na ginagawang lalagyan ng tubig ng nanay mo sa ref? (They dont come in bottles anymore?)

*meron kang pencil case na maraming compartments na pinagyayabang mo sa mga kaklase mo? (‘di lang yun, pati na rin lunchbox and matching thermos ko. Hehe!)

*noon mo pa hinahanap kung saan ang Goya Fun Factory? (San nga ba yon?)

*alam mo lyrics ng "tinapang bangus" at "alagang-alaga namin si puti"? (Nope… I don’t)

*alam mo ang kantang "gloria labandera".. lumusong sha sa tubig ang paa ay nabasa at ang "1, 2, 3, asawa ni marie"… hehehehehe? (Sori… not really. How about "Nanay, Tatay gusto kong tinapay…")

*sosyal ka pag may play-doh ka at Lego… at nag-iipon ka ng G.I. Joe action figures at iba pa ang mukha ni barbie noon? (Hehe… even the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles action figures too)

*inabutan mo pa yung singkong korteng bulaklak at yung diyes na square? (I just came from there and I was clueless that the P5 and P10 are now converted to coins)

*lumaki kang bobo dahil ang akala mo nangangagat talaga ang alimango sa kantang tong-tong-tong… diba naninipit yun? (oo nga no.. I just got that after how many years)

*alam mo yung kwento ng pari na binigyan ng pera yung batang umakyat ng puno para bumili ng panty… and syempre, alam mo rin ba kung ano binigay nya sa nanay nung umakyat ng puno? (lol… pera pambili ng panty. Hahaha! Classic joke.)

*meron kang kabisadong kanta ni andrew e na alam mo hanggang ngayon.. aminin? ("Wag na oi, wag na wag na oi!" Haha!)

*laging lampin ang sinasapin sa likod mo pag pinapawisan ka? (‘di comfortable so madalas kong tanggalin)

*bumibili ka ng tarzan, texas at bazooka bubble gum… tira-tira, at yung kending bilog na
sinawsaw sa asukal? (what about "sundot kulangot?)

*kinukupit mo pa at nanonood ka ng mga porno tapes ng tatay mo na nasa BETAMAX format pa… at sanay ka tawagin ang porno as BOLD? (Haha… DVD na ngayon. Joke lang!)

*takot ka dumating ang year 2000 dahil sabi nila magugunaw daw ang mundo? (‘di naman)

KUNG ALAM MO LAHAT DITO LAGPAS KA NA NG 25 YEARS OLD…
KAPAG HALOS LAHAT LAM MO, NASA 33-35 KA…
WAG KA NA MAG DENY.. TUMAWA KA NA
LANG…

Here’s a comic relief. If you’ve been keepin’ up with today’s popular OPMs (Original Pilipino Music), then you probably heard of the song Narda by the rock band Kamikazee. It’s the most overplayed song nationwide in the Philippines and I can attest to that because I too have "Narda-fever." I guess I caught it from the locals there ever since coming back from my unforgettable vacation just a month ago. Anyways, watch the spoof version entitled Mamaw by KayoKasiEh! from the creative minds of Michael V. (Bitoy) and the rest of the comedians from the funny show Bubble Gang (Pinoy version of SNL). Click play to launch video.

I have fallen in love again causing me to drift in and out of coherent thought since I got back here in NY. Within less than a month, I sincerely got to appreciate the richness of her beauty and the passion boiling within her. So with who is it this time? It’s not exactly who, but ‘where’ actually. Haha… gotcha! I left my heart in the Philippines and I’ve never felt so attached to the country that my heart had once forgotten. My mind is still in pure bliss of yearning to return to the land that made me rediscover my true identity. Hmm… so where do I begin the story?

Ahah! I can honestly remember thinking “This is as happy as I am ever going to be!” My mind and heart can only churn out this thought whenever I am in the Philippines (and as I’m currently blogging this entry). First thing that comes to mind is the feeling of being surrounded by ALL my titos & titas (uncles & aunts), lolos & lolas (grandparents), pinsans (cousins), pamangkins (nieces & nephews), old & new friends, and even our kapitbahay (neighbors). Having their warm presence around redefined the true meaning of family. They embraced us unconditionally with open arms and personally made me feel more at home than here in New York.

With that in mind, I wish the time given to us were as abundant as their kindness and hospitality. Unfortunately, time was limited and constrained us from sharing more memorable moments with each and everyone of them. But despite of time running against us, we were able to cram a lot during our short stay over there.

Shopping was great, even though most of it were for our relatives and not for us. I was already content and delighted seeing the smiles on their faces when we took ‘em out shopping, especially the little ones. I used up my entire budget within one week. We spent most of our vacation mall-hopping and sidetrips to arcades, KTV, movie theatre and even ice skating with our cousins from both our mom and dad’s side. There’s more than 25 of them (excluding three overseas) all in all and I can name each and everyone of ‘em on top of my head.

I’ve must have depleted the extra cash in my bank account from the ATMs in every mall we’ve been to. From Megamall, Ayala Center, Market Market! Mall, Glorieta, Greenhills, SM San Lazaro, Robinson’s, Rockwell, Tutuban, and even SM Baguio… you name it, we’ve been there, except for the Mall of Asia, the newest and biggest mall in the continent. There’s no doubt that the malls there are incredibly huge, more extravagant and definitely a lot cheaper than here in NY, especially when haggling for great bargain buys with desperate merchants of tiangge (bazaars/flea markets).

Of course a trip to the Philippines wouldn’t be the same without commuting with the authentic novelty rides. From the colorful jeepneys and boisterous exhaust of triycles, to sidecars (pedicab), swarms of pimped out scooters, vintage kalesa & karitela (horsedrawn carriages), and the infamous LRT… I rode ‘em all. Heck I even boarded a deteriorating banka (an outrigger boat balanced by bamboos) that broke down twice in the middle of the ocean to and fro Puerto Galera, an exclusive remote island with crystal clear water and white sandy beach north of Mindoro Oriental.

I must admit, despite of the grueling traffic and scorching heat, the clamorous soundtrips of OPMs blasting from the speakers made up for every tormenting travel we did in the mainland. Narda by Kamikazee was the most overplayed song. You can hear it from malls, local bars and even videoke spots sa kanto (in street corners). It was (and probably still is) the most requested song from the radio stations nationwide, even at clubs and nightspots like Bagaberde, and even Baywalk and Metrowalk. We even jammed it with our cousins with their electric/acoustic guitars and old beat up drum set. I think it became the official theme song of our vacation.

With just a little under a month, we had places to visit and so many things to do. Hmm, one thing we did too much of was over-soaking ourselves under the sun. My skin was toasted "well done" like a sirloin steak from swimming resorts in Angono, Rizal to Pansol, Laguna and supposedly to Cavite, not to mention snorkeling in Puerto Galera and jetskiing in San Fabian, Pangasinan. And while we’re there, we went to our cousins in Dagupan and then climbed up to Baguio for some sightseeing in Mines View Park, marching in the Philippine Military Academy, horseback riding in Wright Park and definitely a lot of eating in Burnham Park.

Amazingly, I even had time to squeeze some fitness to get my body in shape during my vacation. The baseball gloves I brought came in handy as I got to exercise my arms for a game of catch and throw in Taytay. I even got to test my strength and endurance from wallclimbing at Rockwell. Then jogging around Grandstand in Luneta and even a long walk through Intramuros was a great remedy for my gluttonous self. And aside from the daily shower of profuse sweating I produced, imagine the intense running I did on the basketball courts. I swear I could’ve filled up a whole balde (tub) because I repeatedly slipped on my on sweat. Haha! In the end, I shamefully admit that we still lost to the locals playing either in tsinelas (slippers) or just with their bare feet.

And finally, what would our vacation be without the fresh local "only in the Philippines" food, drinks, and delicacies. Mmhmm… I can still taste ‘em from the tip of my tongue. The distinct taste of Pinoy pizza, fishballs & chickenballs (bola-bola) pushed by a kariton (pushcart), matamis na saging & kamote (sweet bananas & yams), double slurping on Nescafe mochas, sippin’ on the real buko (coconut) juice (not from cans), drinking hot taho (sweetened bean curd & tapioca) served best daily mornings by Jerry from Tondo, ice cold gulaman (fruit jelly), tagayan of San Mig Lite with pulutan (beer-match food) from inuman (drinking) sessions infront of the house, bibinka (rice cake), and of course Jollibee. There’s plenty more I forgot to mention so just fill me out in the comment box.

Sigh! And now I’m back here in New York. It had hit me a lot sooner (and harder) than when I remember going there when the excitement had not yet hit me. Nothing personal to my friends here but it is NOT great to be back. I enjoyed myself way too much that I did not prepare myself on how to handle my own return. Time does fly when you are having fun. Just writing this entry reminds me of how much I sorely miss my beloved country. I think I’m sick. Go ahead, diagnose me with PVS: Post-vacation Syndrome (hehe!) with a mild case of homesickness. The symptoms are clear from all that reminiscing you’ve just read. The only cure is not to think about it, but it’s helpless because I’m helplessly in love with the Philippines.

1. Kamikazee – Narda, Tsinelas, Chiksilog
2. Sponge Cola – Una, Jeepney, KLSP, Crazy For You
3. 6 Cycle Mind – Alapaap, Sige, Collide, Biglaan, Sandalan
4. MYMP – Get Me, Huwag Mo Ng Itanong, Now That I Found You
5. Sugarfree – Kwarto, Tulog Na
6. Bamboo – Hallelujah, Masaya, Pinoy Ako

Reply to this post or contact me with your suggestions of popular bands and their respective songs. Your contribution will be greatly appreciated.

OK… so there are the true & prideful types, who values their heritage at heart. Then there’s the "fresh of the boat" (fobs) kinds, still bearing their strong apparent accent from the homeland. There are also the American born "flips" who doesn’t speak and/or understand a word of tagalog at all (they don’t count as pinoys ). And finally, there are the "wannabes," who either think they’re black/white or hardcore wannabe gangstas.

So what kind of Filipino are you huh? Me, if you’ve already jumped ahead and seen the chart below, I happen to be a fob. Don’t know what this quiz is talkin’ about. I’ve been off the boat since I was 10 years old… so that doesn’t make me a FOB. Lol!

You scored as fob. youz a fob fresh off the boat sucka but i got mad luv for youz.

fob		70%
born in usa		55%
prideful flip		45%
wish you were white		35%
gangsta		20%