MORE PHOTOS FROM ASINGAN CIRCA 2010

Grace Ramos Gurion and Ana Fe Ramos. Yes, I believe they are relatives. But then, most Asinganians are related to one another in some way..:)


The famous song-and-dance girls of the Mammy Juanitez orchestra..Cheers!

Miggie with a very friendly host at the Santilla residence in Bantog. Boy, did he take care of us then. Brought lots of grub in our table!


Hello, buddy! Sorry I forgot your name as I am writing this caption. Must be the start of dementia..ha-ha! Beside him is Evelyn Antonio. Evelyn is from Carosucan and Moncada..:)

The logo of Pangasinan as seen in the Lingayen Capitol...

ASINGAN PHOTO ALBUMS...

An unpublished shot ( I think ) of Leo Guerrero Asingan's Health Officer, Evelyn Antonio ( Rudy's better half ), my better half Miggie and Epifania Salom, a good friend of mine during those high school days at the Rizal Academy..

Two shots of the same subject: a typical morning scene in the western part of the Public Market. These 2 photos were taken from the veranda of Dr. Ben Gurion's residence...

See how many Asinganians can you identify in this photo..:)


A photo with my good friend Francisco ( Belo ) Malala. He was instrumental in my meeting Grace T. Gurion, a first cousin of my first cousins, Father side. These cousins are the Tenderos whose Mom was my Father's only sister. Miggie and I had an idyllic stay in her residence for several weeks last April 2010..

Also in the photo is Noemie, Belo's daughter and Miggie Hufana Costes...

ASINGAN DRAG QUEENS...

THE SONG OF CLAUDIA

She came to her island by the sea,
This time to be a lovely bride,
She is back to fill a long lost dream,
That failed to grow during her early teen.

It was many, many years ago on the bay,
When she met her groom that day,
She was then fifteen barely a lady,
Growing on this island by the sea....

But aspirations flew her over oceans away,
Long, long ago from her island by the sea,
She moved to the west leaving the east,
To achieve what she wanted to be.

Years after the year she became a young lady,
She found a love from a man who is free, ,
They toiled their life and built a family,
Away from home on the island on the bay....

As their love grew people would envy,
How barriers were crossed along the way,
Feelings and sweet words that they convey,
Nourished their mornings and the rest of the day.


Then it happened many, many years ago,
In her world that was lovely place she knew,
When she laid still one quiet night,
He dashed away from the very bright light....

She traveled back to her island by the sea,
To lift her sadness and to refresh her memory,
When a chance encounter one bright sunny day,
She met the boy who was on the bay.

Ever since then he extended his hands,
He liked her back to her little island,
To be with her became his life’s yearning.
Ignited by the spark of the second beginning....

Ever since that encounter, she felt so well,
That she decided to make a lifetime farewell,
To leave the country she spent many years,
To come and live on her island that is dear.

One day in April with the tingling of a bell,
Walks the bride sheathed by a flimsy white veil,
Her man by her side and at last it will be,
Their celebration on her island by the sea....

I met Claudia, not her real name, through the Pang.org and she became my friend. She was born on an island by the China Sea, on the western tip of Pangasinan but moved to Europe after graduation from high school. This is her story--A.G.



The SAMPAGUITA music soundtrack was provided by this talented young man. This is his video from Youtube...

MANILA THE UNFORGETTABLE

I found another oldie in Youtube and this one was sung by VICTOR WOOD ( hey tukayo! ). I bought many of his audio tapes when I went home in 1988 ( first time after 12 years ) from Alemar's along Avenida..The sky train was not still constructed then so Avenida has still the ambience I enjoyed when I was a College student.

I love browsing over its books. That's all I can do because then, I was still in college. My pockets were still very deep. And some pockets have holes in them. In short, I was always short of moolah!

But I did spend most of free time in Avenida and its surrounding networks of streets..Raon, Ronquillo, Carriedo, etc. Either street you go, you can always find interesting shops or eateries that would really make your salivary glands swell like crazy..Very nice aroma of Comida Chinas or all kinds of meat in their barbeque spits..AND all I can afford then was a siopao and a coke..Rest of money was for jeep or bus fare going to school.

Avenida Rizal is now a grimy street out of a Bladerunner movie set. Dirt, black mud and piss are splattered all over..The surviving book store is now National Book store with its numerous franchises in various swanky malls all over the metropolis..

Manila is still the place for me to wander if I only have the freedom to pull up my stakes and leave Canada.

But then, you need a good place to stay in Manila too so hustlers won't deprive you of your wallet ( or maybe even your life ) while you are doing some serious window shopping..:)

gaano kita kamahal

Ikaw lamang ang aking iibigin
Magpakailanman

Ang pag-ibig ko sa 'yo ay tunay
Nais ko sanang patunayan
Huwag ka nang mag-alinlangan
Ang pag-ibig ko'y hindi kukupas
Tulad din ng umaga
May pag-asang sumisikat

Chorus:
Ang ating buhay
Maikli aking hirang
Kung kaya't kailangan ng pagsuyong wagas
Kailanman

Ang sumpa ko sa iyo'y asahan
Ikaw lamang ang aking iibigin mapakailanman

Chorus:
Ang ating buhay
Maikli aking hirang
Kung kaya't kailangan ng pagsuyong wagas
Kailanman

Ang sumpa ko sa iyo'y asahan
Ikaw lamang ang aking iibigin
Magpakailanman

attaching the video I deleted accidentally...

FIRE AND ICE by Robert Frost

Some say the world will end in fire,
Some say in ice.
From what I've tasted of desire
I hold with those who favor fire.
But if it had to perish twice,
I think I know enough of hate
To say that for destruction ice
Is also great
And would suffice. --Robert Frost