THE DAY ARIEL GUIEB TANGILIG WENT TO CHURCH

The Revel 29er is no more.

And Ariel Guieb Tangilig [AGT] rise like the steam escaping from a pot of boiling pinapaitan competing with the sound of cheap brandy pouring while muntik-nang-maabot-ang-langit [MNMAL] cover a song ripped by Natalie Imbruglia from Ednaswap.  

As such, AGT must expunge the memory of MNMAL and the unwanted calories from too much grilled catfish, goat meat, and free range chicken stew as its first task.

Then came the poison of roasted pig and buffalo laced with a potent cocktail of beef-with-broccoli, chicken whatever, shrimp tempura, the duck adobo and fried tilapia that came in the middle of dinner, and a deluge of light beer and brandy amidst the performance of a so-so band whose only redemption is its bassist that I got to treat to a drink or two or a dinner maybe someday.  

I have sinned, in diet and in thought, which AGT must atone on my behalf, in the hilltop church of Our Mother of Perpetual Help, in the crowded churchyard of St. John the Evangelist, through the whole 67 kilometers of lonely inner roads from Munoz to Talugtug to Guimba to Munoz, and a pretentious noodle bowl that dare to call itself a ramen.

Amen.        

ANG PANSIT NI BITOY

Simple. Masahog. Malasa.

Ang pansit ni Bitoy ay katulad ng isang dalagang kabukiran --- walang make-up, hindi lasang lipstick, hindi amoy belyas.

What you see is what you get.

Ang pansit ni Bitoy ay iniluto upang ihain sa mga bisita at hindi upang ibenta.  

Makabusog ang layunin at hindi ang kumita.

Ang pansit ni Bitoy ay ipinadala sa munisipyo mula sa isang binyagan, may kasamang isang wataw na menudo at kaldereta.

Perfect combination, katulad ng bihon guisado na binuhusan ng kumukulong sabaw ng goto sa Mapandan, ng mami at siopao sa Ma Mon Luk, o mainit na pandesal at canton sa Cuyapo.

Pero sumobra yata ang salok ko sa menudo kaya na-obligang sakyan ang bisikleta kahit bumabagyo.

Para na din sunugin ang adobo at sinampalukang kambing na ulam namin sa pananghalian ng bisita kong Haponesa dahil walang pansit sa menu ni Rico.  

48 HOURS

But this ain't a CBS TV series.

Its about waking at dawn, catching the 6 am bus to Cubao, just having enough time for a Hokkaido Ramen lunch at Trinoma, unexpectedly meeting Tonette R. in the next table, and catching up on missed birthdays, news about PRRM, and her teaching work in UP in between chopsticks of her spicy ramen bowl and my Japanese combo meal.

Its also about taking the taxi to the DA, rushing to the bathroom, sharing news about you-know-who and offering myself as a guinea pig in behalf of those displaced from the Philippine Delegation, agreeing on the text on loss and damage prepared by lawyer-friends as plates of sotanghon guisado and slices of sweet mango were passed and devoured, then later engaging into a beer drinking contest at Baluarte JTG with Eboy while Onil battled a bottle of Emperador Lights.

That was the prelude to the next day when The Boss woke us at 3 am for the trip to Carranglan, Nueva Ecija where I proved myself worthy of climbing a mountain to find a spring, hung-over and all, and enduring a plate of spaghetti too sweet for comfort before finally taking a bath and changing clothes. 

And that was after 48 hours.

ANG UNANG SIGAW NG NUEVA ECIJA AY "PANSIT CABAGAN!"

Tumpak.

'Yan ang umalingawngaw sa kabundukan ng Laur na hindi kinayang pukawin ng sizzling adobong kambing ni LM. 

Sa ika-112 taon ng unang sigaw ng Nueva Ecija ay umalsa ang isang tumpok ng harinang nilubid na sa pamamagitan ng mahika ng kapatid-sa-pananampalataya ni Kuya Rhomel ay inihaing isang bilao ng umuusok at masabaw na Pansit Cabagan.

At nagsipagbunyi ang mga anak ni Haring Solomon sa maaga nilang pananghalian.

Mabuhay si Heneral LLanera at ang bayan ng Talavera!