Arriving Tarlac City at noontime gave me an ample opportunity to roam around the city. The city is no different from other provincial places. The wide roads were filled with cars and trikes while the houses and small establishments line up the city proper.
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| San Sebastian Cathedral |
First stop was the San Sebastian Cathedral and the Corazon C. Aquino Monument. Two famous sites favoured by many tourists for its history and significance to the city.
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| Tarlac Capitol |
I hopped on a jeep and took a photo of the Tarlac Capitol and saw the expansive Maria Cristina Park right opposite. It was walking and walking all throughout, but I wasn't lost.
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| Refuelling Station |
However, I am not to stay at the city proper as I need to meet one more friend I met through blogging. I took a bus and arrived a very rustic barangay and waited for my friend to pick me up. While waiting I noticed tons of students coming in and out and in groups later learning that they merge together at certain times to catch a ride together on a three wheeled tricycle as it was cheaper to chip in for the fare.
My friend came. “Cezar Montano, is that you?” I hopped on his bike as we traversed the wide and green landscape that is typical of any province. It was the most green I have ever seen, a cacophony of colours brightly enhanced by the crops and trees planted along the road and fields. The trip was quite long but in my eyes, it was a bursting imagery of many hues of green from the lightest to the darkest.
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| The Expansive Vegetable Field |
When I reached his house, he gave me the opportunity to feel at home by accepting me as a special guest of the household. It was humbling! When it was time to eat dinner, the food served were straight from the field and it was the most delicious meal ever. It was filling! When we conversed about work and personal lives, our bond became stronger. It was encouraging!
The cups of coffee became the extra listeners to our plights and joyful sharings. The dim light coming from the living room gave drama to our emo stories. The silence around the house made our laughters more crisp and infectious. We were speaking not just as bloggers, we were building friendships.
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| Bring Me the Ax! |
Aboutambot will remain anonymous to those who wish to see his face and know his name. But to me, meeting the writer had given me an opportunity to widen my scope about life and issues of living. His many stories are uplifting so is his pursuit to excellence. His trust to house a complete stranger will be one of the many highlights of my stay in the Philippines.
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| Rustic Beauty |
I became one with nature, one with simplicity, one
with myself. Leaving Tarlac gave me sadness but a reassurance that one day I will live a life inspired by him. I appreciate his kindness to me, many thanks aboutambot!
Love the green and peace within....
ReplyDeleteRural area pero napaka-relaxing ng ambiance...Thumbs up!
Yes Ric, one of the few places I will visit often, not just the greens but the kindness and sincerity of the people in the provinces. Ibang iba compared to the city.
ReplyDeleteSinasabi ko na nga ba na ang simple at payak na pamumuhay namin sa baryo ay magmumukhang paraiso sa galing ng iyong panulat. Mabuhay ka Sir Jonathan! Welcome kaa lagi sa bahay.
ReplyDeleteMaraming salamat sa inspirasyon. Ako ay nalulugod na makakilala ng isang taong tulad mo at isa na ring mabuting kaibigan. Babalik akong baon ang mga alaalang magiging gabay sa pagsulong bilang isang guro at tao sa mundong ginagalawan.
ReplyDeletenapakapeaceful naman jan kuya.. ideal para sa malakas magemote, at magmuni muni ;)
ReplyDeleteOo nga eh emo pa naman ako, hahaha. Sa susunod sama kayo ni Asiong with me. Bulabugin natin ang baryo ni ambot. Jessica, wag pabayaan ang sarili at isiping mabuti ang gagawing desisyon. PM for help!
ReplyDeleteWow, ang ganda naman sa lugar nila AboutAmbot :)) yan din ang gusto kong lugar, yung payak lang... napapaligiran ng lush greenery. Tapos sa umaga, ang sarap tumambay malapit sa palayan habang pinagmamasdan ang pagsikat ng araw.
ReplyDeleteMabisita nga din ang blog ni AboutAmbot after this.
Hi fiel,
ReplyDeleteKung mayroon lang mga trabahong nakalaan sa mga taong nasa probinsiya eh hindi na sila magsusumiksik sa lungsod dahil ang nakahain sa probinsiya ay hindi lamang payak na pamumuhay kung hindi saganang pagkain at maaliwalas na kapaligiran. Ako, pag tanda ko, sa bukid ako maglalagi.
Salamat sa pagbisita. Ikaw naman ang susunod, ha,ha,ha.
sarap tlga mabuhay sa probinsya :) i am so blessed to have met someone like sir jonathan :)
ReplyDeleteHi yccos,
ReplyDeleteSame sentiment. I am so blessed to have met you as well, the experience being in your class was immeasurable. The country needs more teachers like you.
And of course, the perks of being upcountry: clean air, healthy living, simple lifestyle, happy! (with internet connection, definitely!)
Ah, the joys of meeting a fellow blogger. Kaya nauuso talaga ang mga EB eh. It is indeed a blessing to be able to meet a kindred spirit. If people caution us against bad personalities online, meron din namang mababait talaga who are willing to let us into their lives and be our true friends. And you are blessed to have met some of them.
ReplyDeleteWow anonymous talaga si Aboutambot?
ReplyDeleteSana pala sinama mo ako para nakilala ko siya... hehehe
Ang ganda ng Tarlac, so provincial...
wow, super post !
ReplyDeleteReally appreciate you for writing this. Little bit disappointed you didn't post pics of the awesome food you both had !
Good !
@ nortehanon,
ReplyDeleteYes, it was an adventure but I was cautious in a way because I do not know the bloggers. I only know them through their words and emotions. However, it was an adventure worth writing and pondering later on.
@ senyor- so sa susunod, provincial tour tayo so we can meet other bloggers like the one from Dumaguete, nang makapagtampisaw sa waterfalls!
ReplyDelete@Rajiv,
ReplyDeleteI didn't think of taking photos of the food because we were probably hungry at that time. Kidding aside, it was a very exciting meet so we were talking like mad and forgot to document other things. Anyway, they were fresh veggies and fish.
Wow. Meet up. :-)
ReplyDeleteI hope na tayo naman ang magkita next time. Simple conversations between online friends. Madali lang ako mahanap since I just stay in Manila most of the time.
Going to the provinces excites me kahit wala yung maraming conveniences ng kalungsuran. It is the place to slow down and wonder at nature. Nakaka-relax. Kaya nga kapag nagso-sorry yung mga hosts ko sa province na wala silang ganito o ganyan ay sinasabihan ko na walang problema. Hindi ako pumunta ng probinsya para bumisita sa kopya ng Maynila.
Jonathan this post will be one of my favorites among your entries. You complimented me on my vividness, my God I feel like I'm in one of the corners of Ambot's house with my own coffee watching you two in silence while bonding a solid friendship.
ReplyDeleteI also see your face in delight and amazement as you fill your visions with the urban life you are witnessing.
The photographs you posted here are all perfect for your story. The refueling station gave a wide smile on my face. The vegetable field and hay stack makes me want to run out of the city and find a place just to see such simple and yet so calming scene like that.
The cut logs formed like a faceless human described Ambot as anonymous. I checked his blog and I really feel regretful finding it in "private" setting.
Please say my hello to Ambot and thank you Jonathan for bringing us along to your mesmerizing adventure in Tarlac.
Btw, I actually consulted my dictionary for the word "cacophony" :)
@ Ish - It was sad that I met you through your blog (by fiel's mention) during your last days in Thailand. But I am sure glad that we continued visiting each other's blog through these months. Sure, I will see you when I go back to Manila for I have plans of doing another blog meet-up series in the future.
ReplyDeleteI am thinking of going to Dumaguete and then Samar to meet three different people. I wanted to see Ms. Joy as well in Norway or perhaps the people in UAE. Gotta save, save, save!
Dear Ms. Balut,
ReplyDeleteYour comment will probably be listed as one of the most honest and best compliment I received through these many years of blogging.
Yes, I enjoyed envisioning the rural life and that I am pondering of being in one in the near future. The ambience alone captured my imagination that when I wrote ambot's entry, it was vividly photographed and transferred through words.
Ambot mentioned that his simple lifestyle in the province became a heavenly place through the way I described his place and our meet.
I wish people will see the beauty of simplicity and live a life like that. The material gains we enjoy are simple passing fancies but the communion with nature is something we all need to seek.
May your presence in the blogging world be an inspiration to many, to write not because they need to, but to write because they have great stories to share.
Best regards,
Jonathan
never pa ko nakapagtravel dyan pero mukang sarap magstay dyan, i live the church as well as the greenfield
ReplyDeleteHi MEcoy,
ReplyDeleteKahit na busy napadalaw pa rin, maraming salamat. Parang hindi kumpleto ang postings kung wala kang comment, lol!
Anyway, sa lahat ng pinuntahan ko, simbahan ang unang pinapasyalan ko. Nagpapasalamat sa safety and great day ahead. I was able to visit the one in Baguio as well, first thing I did, not SM, ha,ha,ha.
Sana minsan may outing ang mga bloggers at sasama ako. Mag aabsent ako sa work!
Una, nakapag free trip ako sa Tarlac through your pictures. Second parang naramdaman ko din ang ang experience mo. What an awesome time spent together:)
ReplyDeleteThank you, it means na maganda ang descriptions at nakasama ko kayo sa aking paglalakbay.
ReplyDeleteHayaan niyo po, if ever I will visit Norway, well documented din siya, hopefully!