Simple pleasures.

I am so accustomed to the city life that moving back to the province was such a struggle for me. At the back of my mind, there was always doubt that I would come through.

We are lights out at 7pm, you can’t buy anything if it’s that late. Stores close for lunch which is 12 noon and open again at 1pm. It’s a 30 minute drive to go to a grocery store and a movie house. Last trip for public transportation is at 7pm, if you miss that then just pray someone passes by from your town so you can hitch a ride. There’s no fast food and no food delivery. The list goes on and on.

“What am I gonna do here?” That’s what I asked my husband when we moved back to Aloran, Misamis Occidental. He smiled at me and just told me to wait and see for myself. I was puzzled, but decided to give it a try, instead of focusing on what was NOT here, I better look at what IS here.

We woke up early and went for a swim in De la Paz beach before sunrise, about 5 minutes from where we live. The water was so calm and not at all cold as I expected. We brought bread and a pitcher of iced tea. It was just me, my husband and our two kids. It was such a simple activity yet I felt much joy.

When being cooped in the house the whole day was too much for me, we’d go to Oroquieta City and eat barbecue (grilled meat in skewers), halang-halang (spicy soup with beef bits) and puso (rice wrapped in coconut leaves). The whole meal would cost less than a hundred pesos.

At around 6am, women would shout “oy, isda!” which meant fish that was newly caught and really fresh, with bright eyes, stiff body and red gills. They sold it cheap since they didn’t pay for any stall rental, they would go around town on foot carrying the pail and a weighing scale.

Aloran is known for the “Pan Bisaya”. This bread is a bit toasted on the outside but really soft, chewy and sweet on the inside. Commonly eaten as is but would also be good with jams, cheese or butter.

Neighbors would send over fruits and other produce from their own backyard and would still invite you for lunch or dinner especially when there is an occasion and if you can’t make it they send food over. When you see them walking they would stop and chat with you. Of course, small town means small talk and the gossip mongrels are everywhere but then, you know they’ll be around if you need help.

Again, I could go on and on…but I realized I didn’t lose anything by moving back here, I am still in touch with the world via internet and cable. The best thing is I am with my family every waking moment enjoying the simple pleasures in life.