Last Saturday  (August 6), my family and I went to our hometown of Cavinti, Laguna, to celebrate the annual town fiesta with our relatives there. Joseph also took along Janice, his girlfriend, and we rode with three of our boarders who worked for Meralco. We had a stopover somewhere in Los Baños and bought buko pie for our lunch. Joseph and Janice walked a bit further to buy a colorful bird house for P200 from a certain Vicente’s stall along the road. We rode in their van until San Pablo, Laguna, and then took a bus ride to Sta. Cruz. From there, we took a jeepney that traversed the winding roads up to Junction at Cavinti.

We arrived at around 2:30 PM and we left our stuff at Ate Allyn’s house, which was located just at the periphery of our land there and then we took a tricycle to Jaena Street, where Tita Lulu and Tito Bobby was located. Only there did we eat our lunch (it was merienda time already) and Tita Lulu were somewhat busy so we did a little sightseeing before talking about business. Joseph and Janice went by themselves while Mama and I walked to the church, where several tiangges were set up. They sold bracelets, kitchen utensils, toys, and many more for only P5 or P10. There were also bolos (long knives) for sale – something that you wouldn’t see in Manila tiangges, by the way. There were also small birds, ducklings and rats (dagang costa) being sold for children in small rattan containers.

I myself bought a flashlight that relies on static energy to power it not the batteries. You just need to shake the flashlight and you won’t have to worry about changing the batteries. I already bought one several months ago and it has served has well. However, its light has diminished even after shaking it vigorously. We also bought an assortment of kalamay, a dessert made from sticky, glutinous rice.

We went back to Tita Lulu’s house and she offered us sweet ube cake for dessert. She even let us take home suman for the trip home. She promised to get in touch when our papers were ready and we then went back to Junction Street. We went up to Ate Allyn’s house and she let us take home lanzones, which were picked from our fruit-bearing trees.

We also paid a visit to Tia Rene’s house where Ate Genevieve. Kuya Boy and Kuya Jimmy were also celebrating the fiesta. Tia Rene was not there since she was taking care of her grandchildren while Ate Malou worked that Saturday.

Finally, we went to Tia’s house and talked a bit before heading back home. That was almost 6 PM and we were rushing to reach the last bus going to Buendia Taft. My tooth started aching again and I wanted to find a drugstore to buy Mefenamic Acid but the conductor said there was no drugstore in the vicinity. Instead, he offered to buy the Mefenamic Acid from a drugstore that we would pass along the way. It was very nice of him to offer his service – I don’t think I could have survived the trip without painkillers. We left immediately for Manila and arrived a little after 9 PM.