Our Provincial Lifestyle – On in the mountains and the other near the sea
“mao ra ni taga syudad pero taga probinsya ang batasan”, a comment from a cousin.
Google translation = it's the same from the city but from the province. Well, translation is more like, city folks with provincial taste, or people living in the city but acts like from the province? I’m not sure if I’m giving justice but this two is befitting the idea and concept. Google translation is almost there but lacks the main core, outlook.
Oh! Guess I think this is because I don’t have a night life. I don’t drink, don’t smoke and I am quite plain. Am not rich so I cannot afford to spend much on vices. I don’t like a complicated life, so? Is it a problem?
In the mountains
About a decade ago, colleagues from work invited me to go on mountain trekking on a local trekking area for a weekend adventure. I declined. While all of them were excited to go, I was not. I was such a kill joy, wasn’t I? Well, I was and I am. Mountain trekking was not a weekend adventure to me but it was a torturous summer vacation. I grew up going home to our father’s land every summer. Torturous in a sense because I was a kid and going there needs to be on foot because the road going there was nowhere to be found especially on heavy rains or storms.
However, I do learn how to walk on treachery, slippery, muddy paths and that I am thankful for that, I learned a skill or two. I’m not ignorant to provincial life. So making it a weekend adventure? Sorry, it’s not a weekend adventure but a lifestyle. We go home to my father’s land in the mountains most often especially when the road was already cemented. We excitedly go because we get to harvest Bird’s nest fern that thrives mostly on buri trees locally known as buli. Me, excited because my son gets to see my cousins and explore the mountain side. And enjoy the moment knowing that he’ll eventually slip on the paths going in and fro places. And he'll learn that to go to a neighbor’s house requires a lot of walking, -to the next mountain hill that is! But he gets to harvest a lot of wild guavas and berries along the way. Get to meet some animals as they pass by grazing grounds, -something city life does not offer. Harvesting coconuts for a refreshing drink or buko salad for a snack, is something revitalizing. And this is all for free.
Near the sea
It’s still province because its located outside the city. Our backyard beach.
We grow to love our backyard beach since it provided a kind of get-away during hot weather during COVID times. Before that, a summer dip where we need not spend for a refreshing swim. Then provides a relaxing evening break from the hustle of daily routine. Camp fire, a fellowship with friends who wish to enjoy the sea for free.
The sea is generous in providing food for many income-deprive dwellers. “Manginhas”, gleaning is what local dwellers do for income. They get to sell crustaceans (shrimps/crabs) to us at some amount and get to enjoy it very fresh. While other shells we make it to a soup or stew. Others sells us fish/squid head they caught and many were sold in wet market. Now come to think of it, I’m missing those days.
Provincial Life
It’s more of a lifestyle and preference. It’s truly more of the wiring up in my head or just something wrong in my genes but hey! It’s good for me, I get to enjoy the solace of my place after work. Distress after a hard and long day work. It gives me peace and space to think about a lot in life. At least I don’t get to throw tantrums at work whenever stress hits it limits. And I’m happy to stay that way. I get my kids to grow up emotionally and mentally stable. This is just something I can offer you with, plain and simple.
Thank u again for reading and for my sponsor(s), for sharing your generosity.
