Bitin

Bitin! That is what I felt when it was time for me to fly back to reality that is Metro Manila. Being away from the hustle and bustle of the metropolis made me crave for a more relaxed paced of living. After spending a week in Zamboanga, I wasn’t ready to let go of my family, of the abundant sea food and the relaxed atmosphere that is my hometown.

Life is much simpler there. Everything is just 10-15 minutes away from home… the nearest mall, market, beach, the airport, the seaport and yes, even fast food giants Jollibee, Mc Donalds and KFC -- All the comforts of the province with a taste of Manila. Bwhaha.

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Thought I could post an entry or two while vacationing but I guess the "Tamad/Vacation bug" bit me and all I did was laze around the house and enjoy quiet (!?) moments (ie walang work at walang boss), but it seemed that these quiet times were few and far in between as the week as full of activities from the day we (my siblings and I) arrived until our last day in zc.

Had "bukah" / breaking of the fast at my cousin's home. All of our favorite dish were served ("siki sapi", yellow rice, agar-agar, mangoes, fried chicken, turle eggs, etc). Bukah was never this good in Manila. My plate was filled to the brim with food! grabe, umuwi akong bondat! bwahahaha.

Anyways, the week was filled with bonding time with cousins and siblings as well as meeting up with old friends. I had my fill of tula itum, satti (ate satti right after eid prayers, as it is (early am) the best time for satti), pastil, kurma, yellow rice and other native delicacies. I must admit that I think I gained more than a couple of pounds while I was in Zamboanga (Parang hindi nag fast kc mas lalong tumaba during Ramadan)

A day after Eid, my family and I (plus cousins, etc) went to the beach (ang sakit ng sunburn ko!)... we went to a private island where the sand was as fine as that of boracay. Had a great time feasting on native mangoes, fresh fish, barbeque, as well as spending a day in the sun. My siblings and cousins went snorkeling while I stayed near the shore to watch over my nieces. But I was not disappointed as the water was so clear that I can see some starfish and a school of small fish just a few feet away from us. (Will post pictures of the island soon.)

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Belated Eid Mubarak to all Muslims!