i know i keep saying this but hands down, talisay’s lechons are the best! so when henie asked me to go with him to that lechon place i recommended, i was like, “let’s go!”

i’m not being paid to do this (i wish i was) but every time i buy lechon, i usually buy it from manang celia of celia’s lechon. i took ram there last year. and then i took my friends there early this year. (or was it last year too?) and last sunday, it was henie’s turn. although henie got the sweeter deal because i toured him around talisay’s, uh, tourist attractions, so to speak. hehe.

for the record, henie ate about 150 pesos worth of lechon and 5 pieces (the big ones) of puso! that’s twice as much as what ram and i ate combined. i worried about him, looking at him consume that amount of food. but henie’s on a quest to gain weight so i can’t blame the dude for trying real hard. for what it’s worth, he gained 2 whole pounds that day so yay! for henie! hehe.

talisay used to be known for its beach. it’s not a very nice beach but it’s a beach nonetheless. we used to take our dalmatian, george, there years and years ago. it was still pretty clean. let’s just say it’s not that clean now. but i was amazed to see a lot of people there last sunday. i guess a lot of people still do, although you won’t exactly find the classy ones there.

man, it was hot that sunday afternoon! the ube popsicle we bought off some street vendor sure helped with the heat. cheap thrill. nevermind the sticky fingers and the ube drops on my leg. (ram’s hanky took care of those. hehe.)

did a little photo shoot at the beach that day. yeah, we sure did. ram hated me for it because he felt that the people’s stares contributed to the heat that we were already experiencing. i didn’t care. this is the hometown that raised me.

i don’t know if you know but as far as i know, talisay celebrates “the american landing” every year in commemoration of the, (you guessed it right!), american landing. lol. i’m embarrassed to say that i don’t know much of its details but point is, the american troops landed on our shore during the war. don’t even bother to ask me questions about it. because as henie’s “tour guide,” that was all i ever said. lol.

fact: a lot of people think that hanging out in a public park is “cheap.” and we’re not talking about the cost. we’re talking about the activity itself. like it’s something only low-lifers would do. if that’s the case then i am secretly a low-lifer because for years i have secretly wanted to chill at talisay park. you know, just sit there and watch the world go by. observe the people around. i mean, if i could do that in other countries, why can’t i do it here?

which is why, at the pretext of giving henie a “tour,” i was glad to have been given the opportunity to finally do what i’ve always wanted — hang out at the park. complete with poses and pictures and what-have-you. to hell with what other people think. i don’t know them anyway. haha.

one of the things i like about the park? the old trees with their cascading vines. i find them pretty and photogenic. even henie, who doesn’t like his picture taken solo, gamely posed before the pretty tree without a moment’s hesitation. you gotta admit: it is a beautiful tree.

just as the people at the park are beautiful to watch too. this kid had bandage on his left foot, by the way. i noticed so i asked him what happened. said he accidentally stepped on a nail. when i asked if his mom took him to a doctor for it, he just sweetly smiled. i couldn’t help taking a photo of that kid. watching his smile looking at a preview of his picture made me smile too in spite of myself.

all in all, it was a fun sunday afternoon. unusual, yes, but i loved every moment of it. and those conversations at burger machine while drinking ice-cold bottled water? priceless. =)