Where's your hometown?

[Tahoma 2,292]

My fiancée was born and raised in the "city of smiles", Bacolod City. Bacolod City is located in the province of Negros Occidental, on the island of Negros, in the Visayas.

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, in the great pacific northwest. I live in a pedestrian-friendly inner-city neighborhood...not too far from the University of Washington and the University Medical Center. Within six blocks of our home you will find a major grocery store, many shops of all types, two movie theaters, countless ethnic restaurants, numerous coffee shops, a post office, and more. Two things that we don't have in our neighborhood are a Filipino grocery store and a Filipino restaurant. If we want to eat at a Filipino restaurant or shop for Filipino food, we will need to go across town.

I have spent a little time living in the Iloilo/Bacolod area in the early 70s. And I remember those days when I have to take the Negros Navigation ferry between the two cities. Very idyllic, the ferry ride was! I wonder if your fiancee knows the Javellana family, who were my friends in Iloilo and Negros and were prominent sugar cane planters during that era. I also fell in love with a girl belonging to the Ledesma/Montinola clan. Sad to say, it did not last as my employer had to transfer me to Davao City. My heart was down, my head was turnin' around, I had to leave my girl in Jaro town! (With apologies to Harry Belafonte.)

Ah, Seattle, Wash., lovely place indeed! I like it, except that it probably rains too much and my arthritis worsens when the rain goes on and on. My job requires me to visit Seattle every now and then. I always stay at a hotel in Kirkland by Yarrow Point and as I drive on the floating bridge over Lake Washington, my heart quivers at the beauty and the greenery of the landscape. Water, water everywhere! You mentioned the University of Washington, the football stadium is quite a site from the bridge and the 520. I wonder if you live close to 45th Street, by the Safeco Tower.

Yep...Seattle is very wet, and that is what makes it so green. I love the moderate climate in this area and I hope my fiancée will get used to it and grow to enjoy it like I do.

We live near the Safeco Building in the U District, and I am familiar with Kirkland and Yarrow Point areas. Imagine the view of Lake Washington and the floating bridge from inside Husky Stadium! Many people cruise to the football games by boat. Also, when crossing either floating bridge on a clear day, there is a fabulous view of 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier.

I would love to have seen Bacolod in the 1970's! I will check with my fiancée to find out if she is familiar with the clans that you mentioned. Her family has lived in the area for generations. We will PM you with any details.

~ pangga

My old man, AJAnTess, says that there is a lot of Filipino oldtimers in Seattle and there is also a Jose Rizal Park by the Beacon Hill area. Just wondering if he is just pulling my leg! I also wonder if your fiancee knows that here are really Javellana, Ledesma and Montinola clans in Bacolod/Iloilo, as my fiance brags about.

He is not pulling your leg! He knows Seattle well. There are many Filipinos living in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is a good place to buy Filipino groceries, eat at a Filipino restaurant, or visit Rizal Park.

There are many Filipinos living in the greater Seattle area. I am fortunate that my job allows me to meet Filipinos. They are all very nice people, and I proud to count many of them among my friends. I have noticed that most of the Filipinos living in this area are Ilocano. I have not met any Ilonggos yet.

I have a Filipino friend who lives in Daly City, California. Daly City is located in the San Francisco Bay area. He tells me that there is a huge population of Filipinos living in that area. He says they have many wonderful Filipino restaurants and grocery stores. My fiancee and I plan to visit him and check it out.

[Señorita Tessa 1]

My fiancée was born and raised in the "city of smiles", Bacolod City. Bacolod City is located in the province of Negros Occidental, on the island of Negros, in the Visayas.

I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington, in the great pacific northwest. I live in a pedestrian-friendly inner-city neighborhood...not too far from the University of Washington and the University Medical Center. Within six blocks of our home you will find a major grocery store, many shops of all types, two movie theaters, countless ethnic restaurants, numerous coffee shops, a post office, and more. Two things that we don't have in our neighborhood are a Filipino grocery store and a Filipino restaurant. If we want to eat at a Filipino restaurant or shop for Filipino food, we will need to go across town.

I have spent a little time living in the Iloilo/Bacolod area in the early 70s. And I remember those days when I have to take the Negros Navigation ferry between the two cities. Very idyllic, the ferry ride was! I wonder if your fiancee knows the Javellana family, who were my friends in Iloilo and Negros and were prominent sugar cane planters during that era. I also fell in love with a girl belonging to the Ledesma/Montinola clan. Sad to say, it did not last as my employer had to transfer me to Davao City. My heart was down, my head was turnin' around, I had to leave my girl in Jaro town! (With apologies to Harry Belafonte.)

Ah, Seattle, Wash., lovely place indeed! I like it, except that it probably rains too much and my arthritis worsens when the rain goes on and on. My job requires me to visit Seattle every now and then. I always stay at a hotel in Kirkland by Yarrow Point and as I drive on the floating bridge over Lake Washington, my heart quivers at the beauty and the greenery of the landscape. Water, water everywhere! You mentioned the University of Washington, the football stadium is quite a site from the bridge and the 520. I wonder if you live close to 45th Street, by the Safeco Tower.

Yep...Seattle is very wet, and that is what makes it so green. I love the moderate climate in this area and I hope my fiancée will get used to it and grow to enjoy it like I do.

We live near the Safeco Building in the U District, and I am familiar with Kirkland and Yarrow Point areas. Imagine the view of Lake Washington and the floating bridge from inside Husky Stadium! Many people cruise to the football games by boat. Also, when crossing either floating bridge on a clear day, there is a fabulous view of 14,410-foot Mt. Rainier.

I would love to have seen Bacolod in the 1970's! I will check with my fiancée to find out if she is familiar with the clans that you mentioned. Her family has lived in the area for generations. We will PM you with any details.

~ pangga

My old man, AJAnTess, says that there is a lot of Filipino oldtimers in Seattle and there is also a Jose Rizal Park by the Beacon Hill area. Just wondering if he is just pulling my leg! I also wonder if your fiancee knows that here are really Javellana, Ledesma and Montinola clans in Bacolod/Iloilo, as my fiance brags about.

He is not pulling your leg! He knows Seattle well. There are many Filipinos living in the Beacon Hill neighborhood. It is a good place to buy Filipino groceries, eat at a Filipino restaurant, or visit Rizal Park.

There are many Filipinos living in the greater Seattle area. I am fortunate that my job allows me to meet Filipinos. They are all very nice people, and I proud to count many of them among my friends. I have noticed that most of the Filipinos living in this area are Ilocano. I have not met any Ilonggos yet.

I have a Filipino friend who lives in Daly City, California. Daly City is located in the San Francisco Bay area. He tells me that there is a huge population of Filipinos living in that area. He says they have many wonderful Filipino restaurants and grocery stores. My fiancee and I plan to visit him and check it out.

Thanks and I congratulate you and your fiancee for her visa. Hope to visit Seattle with my fiance soon, this summer maybe.

[sunandmoon 450]

I have a Filipino friend who lives in Daly City, California. Daly City is located in the San Francisco Bay area. He tells me that there is a huge population of Filipinos living in that area. He says they have many wonderful Filipino restaurants and grocery stores. My fiancee and I plan to visit him and check it out.

Daly City probably has the largest Filipino population in the SF Bay Area. there are some other cities with many Filipinos: Union City, Vallejo and Newark. A Filipino restarant just opened in San Mateo. now we don't have to drive to Daly City or Newark for filipino cuisine.

[Tahoma 2,292]

I have a Filipino friend who lives in Daly City, California. Daly City is located in the San Francisco Bay area. He tells me that there is a huge population of Filipinos living in that area. He says they have many wonderful Filipino restaurants and grocery stores. My fiancee and I plan to visit him and check it out.

Daly City probably has the largest Filipino population in the SF Bay Area. there are some other cities with many Filipinos: Union City, Vallejo and Newark. A Filipino restarant just opened in San Mateo. now we don't have to drive to Daly City or Newark for filipino cuisine.

Hi S & M...

That's good news about the new Filipino restaurant opening up in San Mateo...I hope it's a good one, and that you have a chance to try it out soon.

I have only spent 16 days in the Philippines, but when I was there, my fiancée and I ate Filipino food every day...and I loved it. I miss it too, because I have not found a Filipino restaurant in the Seattle area where the food tastes as good as it does in the Philippines.

I also have enjoyed some home-cooked Filipinos meals here in Seattle...and they were good...but not the same as the real thing. My fellow Filipinos here in Seattle agree that the best Filipino food is in the Philippines.

Even when they use the same recipe as back home, the ingredients will taste different. The meat and fish are not as fresh, and the fruit and vegetables are not always as fresh as they are in the Philippines. It's simply different.

One of the very few dishes that I did not care for over there was green mangos and bagoong...which my fiancée gets a craving for every couple of months. But, I sure enjoyed fresh-squeezed mango juice (and all of the other fresh juices too!).

One of the fun things my fiancée and I are planning is to explore the Filipino restaurants and grocery stores in the greater Seattle area. I've put together a good list of places to go.

Now I'm hungry...and there's leftover lumpia in the fridge. Ingat...

[Mike's Lucy 14]

Was born in Albuera, Leyte. Grow up in Negros Occidental.

[JoBri 548]

My wife is from Tanay, where she was born. her parents died when she was 5 though, when a ferry capsized. Not sure where she lived then... I never asked her... good question to ask her..... Hmmm, I wonder why I never thought to ask? She lived in Manila from age 16 on, basically. Now she lives and works in Quezon City.

[Mia Sav 1]

My friends,

Where in the Philippines are you or your loved ones from? We'd be thrilled to know. Also, please provide a monicker or description of your town, city or province, if you could.

We'll start with myself. I am from Santa Cruz, a town just south of Davao City, and otherwise known as the Investors' Haven of Davao del Sur because of so many big enterprises with situs here. My fiance in Corona, California was born and raised in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, the Spanish colonial pueblo that was originally named La Ciudad Fernandina by our Castilian founders, in honor of King Ferdinand of Spain.

How about you?

I'm from Dalaguete, Cebu, Philippines known as the "Vegetable Basket of the Visayas". I misssed my hometown so much! Can't wait to go there and spend few months of vacation!

[neenuh 0]

Hello, everyone!

I was born in Manila and raised in the biggest subdivision in Parañaque City

My parents are both Ilocanos (my dad's side is from Ilocos Sur, while my mom's is from Abra)

There's this street in Binondo, Manila named after my mom's great uncle, a former senator

However, I speak little Ilocano, only because my parents used the dialect as their secret language lol

I LOVE pinakbet and I will definitely miss it when I move to CA

My husband was born and raised in CA

[Guada and Conrad 0]

I am from MAKATI CITY philippines...............the bussiness central in manila....................my fiancee is in California

i am from Makati City....my husband is from California

[Señor Bonito 2]

Hello, everyone!

I was born in Manila and raised in the biggest subdivision in Parañaque City

My parents are both Ilocanos (my dad's side is from Ilocos Sur, while my mom's is from Abra)

There's this street in Binondo, Manila named after my mom's great uncle, a former senator

However, I speak little Ilocano, only because my parents used the dialect as their secret language lol

I LOVE pinakbet and I will definitely miss it when I move to CA

My husband was born and raised in CA

Hello there, my fellow Ilocano. Hmmm, your dad's from Ilocos Sur, that makes me his provincemate. Your mom's from Abra, related to a former senator with a street in Manila named ater him. Let me guess, senator from Abra? ... Paredes? ... Quintin Paredes, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, former President of the Senate, huh? You are related to Don Quintin Paredes, wow! I'm not sure if there is a Paredes street in Binondo as I have been out of the Philippines for over 35 years. But am I correct with my guess?

Don't worry about missing pinakbet here in California because you won't, young lady. Filipino and other Oriental stores are aplenty here! And if you are coming to Southern California, you are welcome at our house where the missus and I can always prepare pinakbet and pinapaitan anytime.

[Mike's Lucy 14]

My friends,

Where in the Philippines are you or your loved ones from? We'd be thrilled to know. Also, please provide a monicker or description of your town, city or province, if you could.

We'll start with myself. I am from Santa Cruz, a town just south of Davao City, and otherwise known as the Investors' Haven of Davao del Sur because of so many big enterprises with situs here. My fiance in Corona, California was born and raised in Vigan, Ilocos Sur, the Spanish colonial pueblo that was originally named La Ciudad Fernandina by our Castilian founders, in honor of King Ferdinand of Spain.

How about you?

I'm from Dalaguete, Cebu, Philippines known as the "Vegetable Basket of the Visayas". I misssed my hometown so much! Can't wait to go there and spend few months of vacation!

Dalaguete, is also known as "Little Baguio". I have a friend there, her family name is Munoz.

[natfaye 0]

Ako from south cotabato diri ko sa alabama now

[muñequita linda 0]

Is there anyone who misses his or her hometown yet? If there is, let me just post the Philippine National Anthem here to remind you that your native land yearns for your luck and success in all your endeavors!

ENGLISH VERSION

"Beloved Country"

by Camilo Osias and A. L. Lane

Land of the morning, child of the sun returning,

With fervor burning, thee do our souls adore.

Land dear and holy, cradle of noble heroes,

Ne'er shall invaders, trample thy sacred shore.

Even within thy skies and through thy clouds,

And o'er thy hills and sea.

Do we behold the radiance,

Feel the throb of glorious liberty.

Thy banner, dear to all our hearts,

Its sun and stars alight.

O, never shall its shining field,

Be dimmed by tyrant's might!

Beautiful land of love, O land of light,

In thine embrace 'tis rapture to lie.

But it is glory ever, when thou art wronged,

For us, thy sons, to suffer and die.

TAGALOG VERSION

"LUPANG HINIRANG"

Composed by Julian Felipe on June 12, 1898

Bayang magiliw, perlas ng silanganan.

Alab ng puso, sa dibdib mo'y buhay.

Lupang hinirang, duyan ka ng magiting

Sa manlulupig, di ka pasisiil.

Sa dagat at bundok, sa simoy at

sa langit mong bughaw,

may dilag ang tula at awit

sa paglayang minamahal.

Ang kislap ng watawat mo'y

tagumpay na nagniningning.

Ang bituin at araw niya

kailan pa may di magdidilim.

Lupa ng araw, ng lualhati't pagsinta,

buhay ay langit sa piling mo.

Aming ligaya na pag may mang-aapi,

ang mamatay ng dahil sa iyo.

[sunandmoon 450]

nice to see this thread has been pinned.

[Señorita Tessa 1]

Is there anyone who misses his or her hometown yet? If there is, let me just post the Philippine National Anthem here to remind you that your native land yearns for your luck and success in all your endeavors!

Thanks for posting the National Anthem, Linda. Here is the Visayan (Cebuano) version, courtesy of geocities.com:

Yutang tabunon

Mutya nga masilakon

Putling bahandi

Amo kang gimahal

Mithing gisimba

Yuta s'mga bayani

Sa manglulupig

Among panalipdan

Ang mga bungtod mo ug lapyahan

Ang langit mong bughaw

Nagahulad sa awit, lamdag sa

Kaliwat tang gawas

Silaw sa adlaw ug bitoon

Sa nasudnong bandila

Nagatimaan nga buhion ta

Hugpong nga di maluba

Yutang maanyag, duyan ka sa pagmahal

Landong sa langit ang dughaan mo;

Pakatam-isom sa anak mong nagtukaw

Kon mamatay man sa ngalan mo.