An insider's view on Luisiana and Lucban.

Lucban's town plaza

Luisiana's town plaza

 

 

 

Lucban, Quezon is a nearby town of Luisiana, Laguna - my hometown. Going to Lucban is just an approximately 10-minute drive from the town proper of Luisiana. Although the two towns are very near each other, there are still notable differences with the two.

For one, Luisiana is a much less-known town than Lucban, that's why when people ask me where Luisiana is, I usually tell them that it is near Lucban, Quezon. Luisiana is also a less-developed town than Lucban. In Lucban, one can find convenience stores like 7-11 unlike in Luisiana, where most stores close by 10pm.
 

There are also no major stores or establishments in Luisiana. Most of the stores there are ran and operated by the townspeople. If one craves for a nightlife, he/she would prefer going to Lucban. These past few years, several bars have opened in Lucban. I've been to some bars with my grade school friends and I can say that I enjoyed it.

Lucban and Luisiana are agricultural towns. The towns even celebrate this by holding festivals. The famous Pahiyas Festival is held to give thanks to St. Isidore, the patron saint of farmers, for their bountiful harvests for the year. On the other hand, Luisiana's Pandan Festival showcases pandan-made products such as bags, mats, slippers and hats.

Luisiana's farmers

Lucban's rice fields

What I really don't like about Lucban are the narrow roads. It can be very frustrating especially if you bring a car because it is so difficult to find a good parking space. This is in direct contrast with Luisiana, where the roads are very wide and the houses are not very close to each other. The air is also much more cooler in Luisiana than in Lucban.
 

If you're a person who likes to go out and explore, I think it would be a good idea to visit Lucban. But if you're looking for some peace, quiet and a total opposite of city life, then Luisiana would be perfect.

 

How to go to Luisiana or Lucban from Manila:

1. Go to the HM terminal or DLTB terminal in Taft Ave.
2. Ride the bus going to Sta. Cruz. Tell the conductor that your destination is in Pagsawitan, Sta. Cruz. Bus fare costs approximately ₱150.00.
3. From Pagsawitan, ride on a jeep going to Lucban. If you will be going to Luisiana, jeepney fare is ₱35.00, ₱25.00 if you are a student. If you will be going to Lucban, it will cost about ₱40.00.
4. The route of the jeep will be Sta. Cruz, Pagsanjan, Cavinti, Luisiana then Lucban. In Luisiana, jeepneys usually unload their passengers by the town plaza. This is the same for Lucban.

An assortment of local foods and delicacies

Food plays a vital role in the lives of Filipinos. Not only because this is a basic need, but also because our history and culture are very evident in the food we prepare. There are a lot of local foods and delicacies in my hometown in Luisiana, Laguna. I have classified these foods into three types – main dishes, merienda and drinks.


In Luisiana, there are main dishes that are known as bumbay, laing-pinangat, minanok and hardinera. Bumbay consists of pork lungs which are tightly wrapped in banana leaves and cooked in boiling water. According to my grandmother, this dish is called bumbay as it is wrapped like an Indian’s turban. Laing-pinangat is made up of chopped ginger, garlic and dried fish. The ingredients are mixed with coconut milk before being wrapped in gabi leaves. On the other hand, minanok is prepared almost similarly like batchoy. Hardinera is usually served during the town fiesta and special occasions. This dish is like a local version of meat loaf. It is made up of diced pork, beef franks, raisins, garlic and onions, pineapple chunks, liver spread, pickles and eggs. The ingredients are then mixed and put in a llanera. The dish is cooked in a steamer. I think the reason why this dish is only served in special occasions is because the preparation and cooking can be tedious and time-consuming. 

Hardinera

                                                                     

Laing-pinangat

Bumbay

Luisianians have a number of options for merienda. Pancit habhab is a dish that has been adapted from Lucban, a nearby town. It is placed in a rectangular banana leaf and eaten using your mouth. The fact that one cannot use utensils while eating this dish adds excitement to it. Binilot is similar to a pancake. It is usually drenched in chocolate syrup and topped with nuts. There are also a lot of rice cakes that are local here. Minukmok is made up of cassava and sugar. Dinuldol consists of glutinous rice, sugar and coconut milk. Budin is made up of grated cassava, sugar and coconut milk. It is cooked in a brick oven. 

Minukmok

Pancit habhab

Binilot

Budin

Luisianians love good alcoholic drinks. I think this can be attributed to the cold weather. Lambanog is a popular alcoholic drink in Luisiana. The ingredients in making a lambanog are coconut sap, sugar and vinegar. This drink is made using a distillation process.

Lambanog

I've always loved how the people do not forget their history as some of these dishes have been served for decades, perhaps a century even. They really make a way to pass their knowledge about these to the younger generations.

Pandan Festival

A plant of the Family Pandanaceae, the pandan has large roots and narrow, spiny leaves. It is also the main source of livelihood for most Luisianians. This is used to weave bags, mats, hats and slippers. It is only fitting for the town to hold the Pandan Festival, which is celebrated during the first week of April. This four to five-day festival boasts a lot of activities.

On the first day of the festival, the awarding for the booth contest is done. Several booths and stalls near the town plaza participate for this.

During the night, a Cultural Night (or Gabi ng Kultura) is held in the town plaza. Students and government officials alike perform folk dances or sing kundiman songs. This is done annually to increase awareness of the Filipino culture to the younger generations. 

The Pagarbuhan Costume Contest is done on the second day of the festivities. This showcases the pandan-made gowns that are worn by the Bb. Luisiana candidates.

                          

 

The fourth day of the festival my favorite because of that day's activities. There is a grand parade around the town proper and selected streets. The parade consists of marching bands, drum and lyre bands, and colorful floats which are decorated in pandan. There are also representatives for each barangay for the street dancing contest, which is also a part of the parade. Candidates for the G. and Bb. Luisiana can be seen riding the floats while wearing their pandan-made costumes. Despite the sweltering heat, the participants seem to enjoy the parade as their smiles do not leave their faces.

There is also a contest called Gayakang Bayan where in the residents decorate their houses with pandan-made ornaments. This contest only started last year but this has quickly become my favorite because this shows how creative the Luisianians are. It is very evident how much time and effort were spent.

The Pandan Festival is not only about contest and awards. Since this festival is held during the start of the summer, this brings a lot of families together because this is the time when some people have less things to do. Due to school and work, our family goes home to Luisiana for only a few times in a year but we always make it sure that we are home for the festival to catch up with friends and relatives.

A typical morning in Luisiana

The cold wind hums softly as I am walking to a bench through the vast park. The smell of freshly-cut grass fills my nose. As I sit on the bench, I can see the children playing in the swings and seesaws and laughing as if the problems of the world do not touch them. From my place, I can also see the townspeople hurrying out of their houses to go to work or to their schools, while some take all the time in doing their chores. The baker from a bakeshop nearby brings out fresh and delicious bread to her loyal customers. 

The sounds of a promising busy day fill the air. Jeepney drivers call out for passengers, while some tricycles blast out music from their installed speakers. Some women are huddled close to each other as they walk going to church. In the other part of the park, which is now near the plaza, teenage boys are getting competitive as their basketball game goes intense. The loud voices of vendors roaming the town can also be heard.

The simplicity of the lives of the people of Luisiana will always fascinate me. Far from the noise and pollution of the city, one can always have the most relaxing time in this town.

Edge of Seventeen.

People often perceive me as snobbish. That's probably because I'm quite reserved with people that I don't know well. The thing is, I can be very loud and carefree when I'm with my friends or people I'm comfortable with. In fact, I'm sort of a happy-go-lucky person. I guess I just don't open up easily to others. :P

I loooove to read. I can't even count how many books I have read. My love for books started when I first started reading the Harry Potter series back in 2005. I usually read fiction books, series, and young adult books. I think the first adult book I read was Pride and Prejudice (which is now one of my favorites). Back in high school, I used to spend ALL my savings on books. I could probably stay all day at Powerbooks or NBS. I always check Amazon.com to check out new releases. Since I started college though, I just download ebooks and put them in my Kindle since it is much more convenient (and cheaper!) to do.

Last book that I read

Currently reading this :)

I have a love/hate relationship with food. I eat a lot. Really. Whenever I'm feeling down, sad or stressed out, I eat. On the other hand, I desperately want to lose weight since I'll be 18 on January and I've heard that it is much harder to lose weight once you reach that age, which is why I'm in a kind of a dilemma right now. Haha. :(

Häagen-Dazs' Banana Split

Mango Bravo from Conti's

 Blueberry Cheesecake (the ultimate comfort food!)

I have the best friends in the world. They also know me better than anyone else. We've had our fair share of misunderstandings in the past, but I think at this point, we are mature enough for petty quarrels. :>

March '09

December 2010

L-R: Jessa, Jasmin, Noreli, Mhedel, Vivian, Nikki, Shara, Kristina, Mae Anne, Vera

These girls comprise my high school barkada. We call our group "Shawteez" which I think came from the song Shawty by T-pain. Haha. We've known each other for 5 or 6 years already. I think it's a wonder that we've become so close as we have very different personalities, but we never had a fight that lasted, even when we were younger. Because we go to different colleges and universities, we don't see each other as often as we would like but whenever we have time, we make it a point to meet up and catch up. 

L-R: Lala, Roma, Nikki, Vetina. Not pictured: Irra :(

This is my beloved WG, my college barkada from UPLB. They are some of the most fun people I know. There really is never a dull moment with them. I miss them. :(

I'm also a huge music lover. I listen to almost all music genres. Well, maybe except screamo and metal. :D Some of my favorites are Amy Winehouse, Robin Thicke, A Rocket to the Moon, Up Dharma Down, Sara Bareilles, Jack's Mannequin, Ellie Goulding, The Script, Maroon 5, John Mayer and Ingrid Michaelson.

Aaaaaand I guess this is where I should end my not-so-interesting blog post. :P

"Googling" myself.

For my englone class, we were asked to search for our names online. I must admit that I was very curious to what might show up but I was also dreading this because I was afraid that there there will be embarrassing posts about me. :-P These are the results that came up:

These were the results in the first page when I typed my whole name. Some of the results that came up were not really about me and these were the relevant ones. They only showed my blog account, Facebook account, a Facebook group that I belong to, and UPCAT results from 2009. 


I decided to search for my name again and this time I used my nickname. What showed up were...

...my Formspring account and a very embarrassing video which I shot with my friends more than two years ago. Needless to say, I was mortified to see that the video is still on YouTube. The video was uploaded on YouTube by my friend so I was not even aware that it is still up. I guess the only positive thing about this is that I was not on the actual video.




I think this has taught me to be more selective in the things that I post online. Sometimes, we tend to be careless with what we share online. People can forget that what they post online can be seen not just by their friends but even by the whole world. With this experience, I have learned to limit the stuff that I post. In the near future, I would want to project a good image to people around me. Should people decide to search for me online, I would not be worried that they will find disconcerting stuff about me. I have also read stories where some people were fired from their jobs because of what they have posted online. 


Oversharing definitely has its consequences.