Rooted and Wild: Embracing the Rural Charm of Nueva Ecija
Story Time!
My father was born and raised in the province of Nueva Ecija, a place located in central Luzon. We stayed there when I was 2 years old and then we left when I was 4 years old. We often spend our Christmas there with my relatives on my father’s side. We have a bungalow house or a house that has only one floor and huge windows and doors. There is also a farm near our house in the province. I was raised in the city so every time I stay in our province it always feels like an adventure where I discover many things that I’m not used to.
My Rural Lifestyle!
Early in the morning. We start the day as early as 5 am. Well for some people it’s normal but for me it’s not because I’m used to waking up at around 8 or 9. In the province you will start the day with a cup of coffee and malunggay pandesal, yes specifically malunggay pandesal. It’s the common breakfast for my relatives in the province. After that we chill in the veranda just watching the sun rise.
Getting Ready for the day. At around 10 am me, my mom, and my aunties will go to the market to buy food for the whole day. It is a custom that the female members of the family are assigned to do the house chores including cooking. There is also a time where we are the ones who actually picked the vegetables that we will use for the food. On the other hand, my father and my uncles are often in the fields or on the farm. I really don’t know what they are actually doing but it’s mostly farming.
Lunch time. All of the family members that are left in the house will pack lunch for everyone. After that we will go to a big cottage or “bahay kubo” in the fields to eat. Our lunch is full of laughter and stories. After eating me and my cousins will go roam or play around. I remember riding a carabao around the field and ended up falling after 3 mins. I also experience catching frogs for our meryenda or dinner. Yes, we eat frogs, it’s a common culture in the province. Bathing is also done after lunch and we just bathe at the nearest rivers although there are bathrooms in the house and it’s just like 3 minutes’ walk, we still prefer playing around the river while bathing.
Meryenda time. Most of our aunties will go back to the house after lunch and there they will prepare for meryenda. Our common meryendas our turon, pilipit, bilo-bilo, sapin-sapin, and other sweet treats. After eating everyone prepares to go back to the house.
Dinner and Bedtime. We just eat our left-over food from lunch. We wash the dishes in the “poso” at the back part of the house and then we will change for a sleeping wear or actually just a very old t-shirt that you wouldn’t wear anymore and a pajama. In the province I never get the chance to sleep late because it’s super cold and cozy so you’ll get pretty sleepy easily. Most of us just sleep on the floor with a “banig” and a couple of pillows.
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Life in the province is pretty simple and neat. It focuses on family bonding and being one with nature. How about you, do you have a “kwentong probinsya”?
Photo provided by Avril Tolentino
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