Northern Exposure

For a long trip, I always wear malong. It fits in my pocket and I prefer it to a jacket. Though it cannot be avoided that some passengers look at me with that strange look, but it is better than bringing a blanket. 

I went on a little trip to the North this weekend to attend to a "speaking" engagement to a Christian School in  Aalaminos, Pangasinan. I left Friday and arrived at three in the morning. After delivering the commencement message, I then proceeded to Baguio City to pay a visit to my mother, siblings and my nephew Ycoi. I spent a couple of hours there and then went on my way home. I was pretty tired because the travel back from Baguio to Cubao took nine long hours  because of the fog and the road constructions along the way. So, I spent more time sitting on a bus than with my mother and my siblings. Anyway, I will be coming to Baguio in a couple of days for to bring my daughter there for a scheduled vacation. Boy did my butt and back hurt.

While passing through Pangasinan, I saw this gate. My daughter was a Daniel Padilla  fan  so I took a picture and asked my daughter if Daniel Padilla was from Pangsinan. She didn't know. Anyway, this was odd, why would anyone put his name on a gate. Maybe to attract fans, paparazzi or kindappers or, maybe, its just a namesake. either way, this was dangerous.

Baguio by night: I arrived at around eleven in the evening last Saturday  and I was surprised to find that the road in front of Jones Park, a major thorough fare, was converted into a night market.  Usually night markets is held on streets and sidewalks. The Ukay-ukay capital of the Philippines.

Baguio fog. Reminded me of Stephen King's novel "The Mist". I have been regularly to Baguio but this was the only time I saw fog this thick in summer.

Pissing off my nephew Ycoi.

My mother who is always busy with the laundry. Visited her and had a chat with her. She begged me to lose some weight because blah, blah,blah, she was worried I'll have a heart attack or something. That's what mothers do, worry about their children even though they are already adults.

Our bus drivers will make good battle tank drivers. How they maneuver that bus as if  it's just a bicycle never ceases to amaze me. They evade buses, taxis, pedestrians effortlessly. They have the essential skills for battle tank operations.