Lumban's Magic

I am only three hours away from my hometown Lumban and much as I want to visit the place regularly, I cannot. I have been here in the city for years and I used to work in an 8-hour job from Monday to Saturday, and Sunday being my rest day, is spent on household chores, etc. However, when things are getting really stressful and life becomes too fast for me, Lumban is one great source of relief. Why? I think it’s in the people and the lifestyle. Life there is really simple.

Lumban River

Lumban is situated south of Manila. Years ago, it was easy for us to commute back and forth from the city to my town as travel time then was much shorter. Back then it was only a couple of hours or even less, now its three hours or more. During holidays, it is worse. A friend had experience five hours because of traffic. You see, that is one reason, some of us who work here in the city, would rather rest on our free day.

But as I have said, Lumban has its own magic, maybe because I grew up there and the familiarity of faces and lifestyle is a potion by itself. I like it best in the early morning, when people start their day. Tatay waking us all up and buying pan de sal from our friendly panadero (baker), or the "tindera ng kakanin". The choices are endless. Three houses away from us, there's Ka Cely whose goto or lugaw (porridge) is very much sought after. And, yes, Ka Elsa, my street food source. Food is clean, inexpensive, delicious, and not preservative-laden. In the city, I never cook, so I usually grab my food fastfood-style. Name it and I knew where to get it. I am not much of a cook and thus even if my Tatay reminds me about this habit, I am not going to give it up just yet.

Anyway, among my favorite gastronomic delights in Lumban are nilablab na tilapia (grilled tilapia cooked in coconut milk), ginataang hipon (shrimp in coconut milk), and paksiw na ayungin (silver perch stewed in vinegar and ginger). The last one being my family's ultra favorite. These foods are always in my request list when I’m home. You can never have them authentic in the city, I bet!

Aside from food, I can sleep well in Lumban. When I am totally finding it hard to sleep, the three-hour bus ride is worth it, if only for a night or two of restful sleep. My room is small but the green-colored wall has its effects I think. Also, I have a great view from my window (not billboards!) and I don’t need air conditioning and except during summer, the cooler air in the province is more conducive for sleep and much, much cleaner. I remember a joke I made about city air to my sister while we were waiting for our bus in EDSA, that if one is to stand for hours in EDSA, inhaling all the fumes and all, it is very much like taking suicide because in the end you will either get sick from a respiratory disease and die from it.

Morning routine in Lumban is also stress-free. People are not on the run, I should say. I find it really amusing. City mornings meant people having to fight endless lines just to get into an FX or jeep, wasting precious minutes waiting and then wasting more minutes or even hours getting stuck in horrendous traffic. I have learned to deal with these as they are part of city living but still I cannot help but compare how my father can still find time to water his plants, tinker around, and even chat with neighbors before going to work and mind you, he never gets late. In our place, traffic is nonexistent. Tatay can get to work in minutes and without the hassle of waiting in lines. He is one lucky soul indeed!

It was my choice to live in the city and I have no regrets about that. I have learned and still learning survival techniques and the city offers more opportunity. I whine no more. If only I can have both worlds.