Roxas after Ten

Ten random things, ten years after my last visit to my hometown…

1. Life will lead you to many places but no matter how far you go and how happy you have become, a yearning will grow and will make you want to go back to the people and places that shaped you. It’s a sign that you’re getting old. :)
2. Somehow, the years have mellowed down my father and the once strict dad had transformed into a doting “lolo” to his grandchildren.
3. The house that was witness to my childhood will always pull a few “senti” strings …no matter how old it has become!
4. The “ulams” that I once hated as a child now make a sumptuous meal for me ... I’m talking “alimango, pusit and hipon!”



5. Metro Manila salary can go places in Roxas. Hmmmnnn… will the simple lifestyle work for my family here in Manila???? Not! The malls and restaurants here in Manila are too hard to resist! Hehe! :)
6. The errands that I usually do for two weekends in Manila will only take one day to finish in Roxas! I can go around the city in just one morning because the place is essentially free from heavy traffic. It’s easy not to be late in Roxas where you don’t have to worry about traffic jams.
7. Further on that note, working people in Roxas are lucky because less travel time to and from work means more time to spend for other interests and hobbies. People in Manila spend hours just going to and from work.
8. No matter how many Ilonggo restaurants Hubby and I have visited in Manila, nothing compares to the taste of batchoy and puto in Roxas. Now our standards for these food chains are higher having remembered and experienced the original thing all over again!



9. For a moment, I thought that the cakes baked by Tracy’s in Roxas might not really be that yummy considering how fond I have become of cakes here in Manila (i.e. caramel cakes of Estrel’s, sans rival of Goldilocks and chocolate caramel cake of Red Ribbon). Baka naman mababa lang talaga ang expectations ko dati as a kid. Kahit ano, basta cake masarap. But having ordered a mango cream cake from Tracy’s for my youngest and having seen the satisfied look of my hubby and kids, I now firmly believe that Tracy’s can really compete with cakes here in Manila. They bake super yummy cakes and their cheese rolls taste great, too!!!



10. The quiet days in Roxas ironically made me miss the busy life in Manila. Hahaha! Manila lifestyle has gotten its way into my system, I guess. :)

I plan to, want to, need to and will visit Roxas more often from now on. Here’s wishing for more promo fares from servicing airlines!:)