Childhood Churches

Albay has a lot of beautiful churches. That’s a fact.

What makes them even more beautiful is the fact that they hold cherished memories from my childhood. From hearing masses to watching processions, from spending Holy Week to participating in Flores de Mayo. Each church has a distinct memory.

Memories that came back after setting foot on 2 of those churches again.

First, the St. Rose de Lima Parish in Bacacay.

Second, the Church of St. Lawrence the Martyr in Tiwi.

The churches - and memories - are as wonderful now as they were then.

Setting the Tablea

It's always nice to give food as gifts during Christmas. More so when the food has a sense of history.

This year, I'm giving my 2 bosses a food gift that's part of my childhood. I'm giving them a jar of "tablea" from my Mom's hometown in Bicol.

I remember those tablea well. When we were kids and spend our summers in the sleepy town of Malinao, Albay, I'd often see these tablea being made at my grandfather's house.

I'd wander into the dining area and find some of my aunts and helpers carefully forming chocolates into balls and putting them on the big dining table. The smell of cocoa would waft in the air and I was delighted by the scent.

Then, they would prepare some for merienda, and I'd dip the bakery bought pandesal into this thick, chocolate-y concoction. And it was divine.

I'm happy that Mom always brings home tablea whenever she comes home from Bicol. And I'm happier that I'll get to share this experience with some other folks this Christmas season.