That's what you would usually hear when friends get word that you are leaving, be it for business or for pleasure. As someone who goes to my hometown of Baguio regularly (and Baguio is loaded with pasalubong goodies!), I am frequently asked to bring something along, be it strawberries, vegetables, peanut brittle, or choco flakes.
I don't mind doing the extra trip to the market, because many of these requests usually come with payment already (they now offer payment because I go so often to Baguio that it's like a regular weekend trip home already and pasalubong shopping can really add up to a lot of cash). But what I really, really don't like to bring along are brooms! Yup, Baguio brooms have a reputation for sturdiness and are popular pasalubong items too. But that's the one thing I don't like carrying around. And sometimes, I just conveniently forget to buy :-).
Here are some popular pasalubong items from other regions:
Dried fish and squid galore! Famous delicacy from the Vizayas region. Deep-fry these goodies, dip in vinegar, and it's the perfect companion to fried rice!
These dried delicacies give-off a strong scent, though, so it's not allowed onboard planes. Make sure your pasalubong is wrapped in plastic and newspaper and stored in a box when making plane trips.
These ae a couple of pasalubong items I received from officemates. At the left is chichacorn, a crunchy corn product from Vigan (which is located North of Manila). The other one is peanut brittle from the island of Mindoro.
Yup, we Filipinos are big on food. But pasalubong items can also be magnets, keychains, shirts, and lots more. Recently I received two keychains: one that looks like a crocodile from Palawan (in the Southernmost tip of Luzon) and an intricately-woven keychain from Bataan (in the northernmost tip of Luzon! What a coincidence).
But no matter how simple the pasalubong is, it's always the thought that you were remembered (or you remembered if you're the one who left) that counts.
Happy weekend everyone!
***
Here's a pasalubong update! I just received some broas (a type of semi-crunchy sweet bread thing) from an officemate who had her vacation in Bohol, land of the chocolate Hills! Yum.
A half dozen of the Baguio City brooms have made it over to Iowa and several of them reside in the homes of relatives. One of them is used on a daily basis (and has been for over three years) in our home and another is a spare waiting patiently in a closet downstairs for the one upstairs to wear itself out. I think the spare broom still has a long time to wait!
ReplyDeletehmmm sana lahat ng pagbibigyan ng pasalubong katulad mo. Kasi some impose on what type and what brand of pasalubong they want. nawawala na tuloy ang excitement of giving .
ReplyDeletemy two cents hehehe
bili mo naman ako ng ube sa good shepherd, hehehe. *joke*
ReplyDeleteEuropeans and Filipinos have the enjoyment of their repast in common. I've noticed that many of us Americans don't give eating nearly the same level of interest. I hardly pay attention to when I eat...it usually goes like this: "I'm hungry, it must be time to eat." I keep an apple in my bag in case I find myself in a place with no food at lunch. I thought all that was going to change once I retired, but it seems nothing really has...Wat, you ARE a chow hound, as we used to say in the Marines!
ReplyDeleteKakabilin ko lang ng otap dun sa isang friend namin na umuwi naman sa Cebu.
ReplyDeleteSarap ng pili nuts sa baguio.
don't worry ... ako na lang kukuha ng pasalubong ko pagpunta ko jan! hehehe
ReplyDeleteschönes wochenende(happy weekend) din!
Ako, lambing lang ko lang yung paghingi ng pasalubong. Pero I don't mind kung tutuhanin ng umalis, he he! Mas prefer ko syempre ang food. Takaw ko no? :)
ReplyDeletehmm..pass the rice, Pleez? *stomach grumbling* =)
ReplyDeleteI always prefer food over keychains hehehe and those look tremendously yummy.
ReplyDeleteWhen I visited Vigan, I took noticed of the clay pots. Those are what I ended up with coming back home. I enjoyed the food there non stop, everything was fresh. We were catching the shrimp and eating them right then and there. It was just awesome.
Btw, please extend to your wife our greetings to her - Happy Mother's Day.
Are the brooms from Baguio tough, or are they tough, Ed? How you hauled them all the way to Iowa, along with your hadcrafts, is a wonder all by itself.
ReplyDeleteKorek ka dyan, balikbayan. May preference silang brand.
Tulad ng suggestion mo, Cruise. hehehe
Phil, we here in the office eat five times a day. :-)
Ann, recently ko nga lang na-realiza na masarap nga pasalubong from Baguio. Di ko kasi pinapansin noon kasi taga-roon ako e :-)
Neneng! Kelan uuwi ang sirena sa Pinas?
Jairam, don't worry di lang ikaw ang matakaw este mahilig sa food. Thanks for dropping by!
En, pop rice ba? :-)
Jumping salad, cerridwen! Pottery is nice, especially from the provinces. Hindi rushed ang gawa.
Dear, ipasalubong mo na lang sa amin ni baby jo-lo yung broas! That's my favorite... tina
ReplyDeleteWats0n,
ReplyDeleteI really didn't know how to haul them but after much thought, I came up with a solution. I bought two rolls of packing tape and wrapped them up from handle to bristle using nothing but the tape. I wrote my address on them and when I got to the airport, checked the bundle in. I was worried that they wouldn't arrive since they looked like a couple of rifles wrapped in tape but all six brooms that I brought back, survived the journey. Much to my wife's dismay and the amusement of all Filipinos with whom I tell this story to, every broom that I gave as pasalubong to my relatives is now prominently displayed on a wall of their house as decoration. Only we use the walice as an actual broom!
Dear ... nakain ko na eh. hehehe. tingnan ko kung meron sa davao.
ReplyDeleteEd, that's hilarious! Well, I guess Baguio brooms are popular not only because they're sturdy, but they're beautifully made as well. So I guess it's ok to turn them into wall decorations too.
ako kahit anong pasalu super ok na.. promizzzz...
ReplyDelete