Wednesday, July 18, 2007
THE NEIGHBORHOOD SARI-SARI STORE
This sari-sari store in Quiapo reminds me of the one on our block when I was a kid growing up in the Santa Cruz district of Manila; owned by Manong, a Chinese immigrant from Hong Kong, and his wife, Manang, who hailed from Ilocos.
It was a wonderful store -- only three houses from ours -- where my sister Inday and I would buy our late morning snacks. On weekends or whenever we had no school, my father would leave us twenty five centavos each before he left for work. Twenty five centavos then would afford us a bottle of Cosmos sarsaparilla or orange, as well as a piece of Japanese hopia (hopiang Hapon).
As for the late afternoon merienda, rarely was there a need for us to buy anything, for there were always freshly-baked pandesal and machakaw on the table at home. But just in case, my father allowed us get anything we want on credit; Manong or Manang would just write the charges on a piece of paper that I would then put inside my father's can of Prince Albert tobacco. Included on this list, of course, were the essential household stuff that we'd run out of -- cooking oil, vinegar, sugar, and whatnot. On Saturday afternoon, my father would go over the list and pay what we owed.
That was usually how it went, except on two occasions. The first was when my father was surprised to find a higher than usual amount on the list. I immediately admitted that it was I who made the purchase, and it was for a nail cutter. Told him I was getting too old for my mother to trim my nails for me. Delighted that his youngest son was beginning to become responsible for himself, my father never made a big deal out of it.
The second time, however, was a different story. You see, after playing basketball one afternoon, I went to Manong's store craving for a chilled bottle of soft drink and hopia. But since my equally exhausted and famished playmates trailed me with sorrowful look on their eyes (they had absolutely no money to buy themselves anything), I foolishly decided to treat them all for merienda. Well, that was the last time I was allowed to buy anything on credit. From that day on, I had to go to my mother to ask for some cash.
posted by Señor Enrique at 7:44 AM
46 Comments:
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said... hehehe what a funny story. i never tried buying anything on credit from the sari-sari stores before, which is why i don't even own a credit card now. ^^
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said...
That sari-sari store looked a lot nicer than the sari-sari store I used to go to during my time. I remember our "listahan" always gets too long but never to the discomfort of the owners because they know they are going to be paid...not necessarily always on time.
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said...
I remember when I was still teaching, and Marco and Aypee were in grade school, in the same school.
They would come to me - at a time when I would be very busy preparing for my class - to have me sign the piece of paper as 'script money' for them to buy from the school canteen. Ako naman, sign lang nang sign, just so I could make them go away.
But then, I'd be shocked when the canteen owner would hand me the month's credit - ubos ang suweldo ko! Hehe.-
said...
A sari sari store is like a mart is it?
;)
Reminiscences during your childhood days at the store; interesting!-
Señor Enrique said... My father's original intention, Carla, was that he didn't want me and Inday to be without a merienda. But his intention wasn't shared by the parents of my playmates so, I had to spring for theirs, though on credit ... hehehe.
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Señor Enrique said...
Nowadays, Binavi, without extending credit privileges, it would be tough for sari-sari stores to remain in business. So, not only must proprietors have the cash flow to continually replenish their inventory, they must also be able to provide credit for regular customers.
It is actually a great service these entrepreneurs provide for their communities.-
Señor Enrique said...
I laughed when I read your comment, Rhoda, because I learned to do the same with my mother. It got to the point when I did it too many times. That is, while she was entertaining some guests.
Lo and behold! I was relegated to ask for afternoon merienda from my eldest sister, Fraulein. She was so mean; making me a personal slave first before I get any money from her ... hahaha.-
Señor Enrique said...
Yes, Kyels. A sari-sari store would be a small neighborhood convenience store (mom and pop store as referred to in the States).
In some communities of old, such places were one of the significant meeting places for the locals to trade news updates.-
said...
The sar-sari store is such a legend in our lives that when we were young, so many incidents and circumstances happen with it, and within it.
All those old products and brands that became part of my childhood memory were La Perla Saltine, Texas chewing gums, Lemolime, caramel, and old bottle 8 oz Coca-Cola.
I remember that when the 12 oz version came up and I was just a lad of about 8 years old and I bought one from the nearby sari-sari store, the storekeepper even warned me that it was so huge a bottle that I might not finish it up. I said bring it on, and truly she was amazed that I gulped it all in almost seconds.-
Señor Enrique said...
That storekeeper must've been surely amazed after you finished that entire bottle, Major Tom! Great story :)
Lemonlime I remember; it's counterpart in the States in Ginger Ale.
Texas gum, is this the one that came with those trading cards?-
said...
My late mom operated a sari-sari long time ago, and come to think of it now, it was an Honor System!
A customer would come in, hauls several items from the store, we wrote the date and items taken. Payday arrives, and they pay for their credits. I honestly don't recall any arguments between us and them about their long list of credits. Not so sure now if credit machines are used nowadays.
Great post and pic as always. Cheers and goodhealth....-
Señor Enrique said...
For more populous neighborhoods, TruBlue, there are 7-Elevens and Mini-Stop franchised convenience stores replrete with ATMs.
Whereas, in other areas, you may have more than one sari-sari store on the same block or street corner, but they're much smaller than pictured above. However, there are still some larger stores (as in above photo) here in there within Metro Manila.
Much thanks and likewise!-
palma tayona said...
"...all those old products and brands that became part of my childhood memory were La Perla Saltine, Texas chewing gums, Lemolime, caramel, and old bottle 8 oz Coca-Cola."
regarding those old sodas, my favorite was Coca-Cola. it was back when we call it that way instead of just simply "coke". i remember drinking those coca-colas with my brother and we'd press our noses. we'd wait until we get that huuuuge burp and the fizzle just simply goes out our noses. hahaha, it leaves this tingling sensation up our nostrils it's fun. i wonder how come they've changed formulation for that soda.
i miss the burping contests we'd have. ;-)-
Señor Enrique said...
Is there less carbonation now with our soft drinks?
Now I'm reminded of the seltzer water one can buy in NY and have home delivered. My friend's father enjoyed drinking a glass after every meal so as to make him burp :)
That was a fun childhood memory you had, Daniel.-
INKBLOTS said...
How could I forget my regular fare from sari-sari stores? ---lemolime na tatlo-singko (later, it became 5 centavo each (darn!), pag-ibig (the bread that has white sweet coating, coco bread, alembong (a bread with white and red colors), kababayan (an oily and smaller version of muffins) and Tarzan gums! Later on I was hooked to jeproks and I could still remember how fun it was when we have to compete whose lips and tounge and even teeth has the reddest! Lolz!
Suddenly, I miss my childhood....(sigh!)-
Señor Enrique said...
Isn't it something, Ding, that our neighborhood sari-sari store becomes quite a cherished part of our childhood?
This is why I regarded Manong's as a wonderful store :)-
cacofonix said...
Ha ha, I'd be surprised if instead of Manang, Manong's partner was called Ateng….:). That's a tres tres refreshing and funny anecdote about your childhood S.E.; and of course evidently, you were brought up by very wise parents…:). Now you got me reminiscing about my own sari-sari store experiences. We actually owned one while I was growing up, thanks to my very enterprising Mom who on top of full time teaching and going to school for years to finish her masters (while raising six rambunctious children, just imagine!:) , thought of taking entrepreneurial advantage of our thriving (population-wise) neighbourhood by setting-up a store. We usually had problems with our "tinderas" - either they make "kupit," paid more attention to their suitors than the business, or run away with their "kupits"..ha ha. For lack of time I guess, my Mom pretty much left most of the managing to her "trusted" tinderas, really. Whenever one rans away, hahahay, I get to make "tao" from when I was around nine, when not in school that is. I remember being stingy with the straw ! No one could ask for more than one per bottle of softdrinks ha ha....:).
Anyway, I made "kupit" too, usually beinte singko, and would run off to the other store in the next "kanto," usually to take my chance at their "pabunot," an exercise in "intuitive" play which really fascinated me. Well, technically it wasn't really kupit as my Mom never monetarily compensated me for my labor, except for allowing me to drink almost a case of Pop cola (which I was addicted to) a day (nah, she wasn't really aware of the extent) and snacking on as much Chippy as I wanted to..haha. And yep, without a van, guess where we loaded up our boxes of wares from Divisoria? The good old traditional kalesa!!! Yep, I was a regular exhilarated little passenger on weekends, the only matiyagang kid who'd accompany Mom to purchase stocks…:).
Ay, napahaba, sorry….got carried away! It's not my blog..haha!-
said...
a sari-sari store! place for quick fix meals, merienda, tagay and conversations. a childhood is never complete without ones experience at the nearby convenience store. sigh, miss home na talaga.
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reyd said...
My uncle's sari-sari store in Tondo was just like that but meron siyang area for "deli"(kakanin and ulam). During the early years, most sari-sari stores in Manila were owned by Chinese, my uncle was called with different names by his cutomers, from Apeh to Angkong, to Amo etc...just like any stores, he had a long list of pautang and the gang members(oxo or sigue-sigue) never bothered his store since it was very convenient for their food and other needs. During summer vacations, if we are not in our province, us kids would spend weekends on his store to help make his homemade bola-bola and other meals. And in return, We get to take home lots of "teks", gums and holen, lahat ng klase ng goma(lastikos) and serg's chocolates. Ahh..and those different softdrinks na lasang kendi, I forgot their names, cosmos is really the one that I like. Well so many things to recall from the past.
Add ko na rin yung pan de sal /w a slice of dairy creme in the morning and coffee that he sells to those going to work. When he passed on, his store was converted to a bodega and finally sold to another mercantile company.-
Señor Enrique said...
Thank you, Cacofonix, for sharing with us behind the counter insight in regards to these wonderful sari-sari stores.
Our adopted sister runs a similar business in Pasay and has many stories to share similar to yours. And you remind me of my young nephew then who would make "kupit" and then run to the nearby arcade or computer shop to spend his free time.
I remember Manang also doing her inventory shopping and coming back on an overloaded calesa ... hehehe. She later on learned to drive, bought a jeep owner, and had since done their marketing more conveniently.
Thank you for sharing with us your sari-sari store memories! Truly appreciate it :)-
Señor Enrique said...
Sorry to exacerbate your homesickness, Nell ... hehehe.
Yes, what is childhood without the local sari-sari store. But I guess, with the younger generations, memories are now with the cavernous supermarkets :)-
said...
you remind me of my youngest daughter. she likes to treat her friends even though she relies on me 100% for allowance. she is very kind and giving kasi.
interesting story!-
Señor Enrique said...
I really admire, Reyd, those merchants able to deal with the local thugs.
I remember this guy Eddie back then, a popuklar handsome young man in the neighborhood who was barely out of his teens when he got hit right on the forehead with an arrow while he was making a purchase at Manong's store.
It was a case of mistaken identity. Some gang members riding a calesa though he was the targeted member of the rival gang. Everyone was surprised that Eddie survived that arrow shot from a slingshot (a common lethal weapon back in those days).
Nonetheless, on a lighter note, there were many items -- foodstuffs and plastic toys -- in Manong's store that made every kid's summer in my neighborhood almost fairytale-like. A wonderful and wondrous life, I must say :)
Thanks for sharing with us your memories, Reyd!-
nerdluck said...
I love going to the neighborhood corner store when I was a kid. Our older cousins would tease us that we (my brother and I) were not old enough to go to the store and buy anything. They though we could easily be cheated of loose change. It did happen twice but then I was determined to be good at math so I couldn't be cheated again. It wasn't Manang cheating us, though, but her "tindera."
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NOYPETES said...
Eric,
Now I know how close your neighborhood was from mine cause I remember that guy Eddie? who got hit with a "pana" on the forehead and was even on the headline of the Manila Times way back during my Sampaloc days. Pabunot, pritong mani with bawang, Cosmos Sarsaparilla and a Tagalog Klasiks rented at the corner sari-sari store was my afternoon delight! Then there was Ah Kong's on the corner of Laong-Laan and Don Quijote sort of like a pinoy soda fountain selling boiled plantain banana in panutsa syrup and crushed ice. I used to clean the counter of Ah Kong's store and sweep the front of his store for a "Saging sa kinaskas na yelo". I must agree with most that the sari-sari store was a big part of my childhood too!-
Señor Enrique said...
But you know how it is, Belle ... tough to enjoy your refreshments when your buddies stare at you with those pleading eyes ... hehehe.
Thanks, Belle!-
Señor Enrique said...
Ah, that's funny, Nerdluck.
Whenever a visiting relative would drop by and hand me and my sister some change, we would trek all the way to the corner grocery store and treat ourselves to Magnolia pinipig crunch, which was at that time only 25 centavos each.
Surprisingly, when I returned to Manila after a long absence, this grocery store turned out to be not at all that far from our house. But as little kids, it seemed such a long distance to walk over there.-
Señor Enrique said...
Actually, Pete, Misericordia between Batngas and Tayabas Streets is not all that far from Sampaloc. Eddie, every year after that incident, would go by himself to Manong's and get himself drunk silly all by himself. I guess, it was his his to celebrate his surviving that awful circumstance; that is, by destroying his liver with alcohol ... hehehe.
That "saging na may kinaskas na yelo" is what we call saging saba, which cost five centavos when I was in elementary school.
With all those foodstuffs you guys mentioned, no one ever remember "kulangot ng intsik?"-
NOYPETES said...
I did remember "Kulangot ng In...k", the little coco shell with a "kulangot" size scoop of matamis na bao, sealed in with a thin red paper band around and stacked together in 4 skewer size kawayan stick?, either banded together with bamboo strings or rubber bands. I was just being careful not to offend the tsinoy community with what we call now adays.."politically incorrect" terms or names(baka lalong madagdagan ang penalty mo from the Chinese mainland govt.!)...."Booger in a nutshell" na lang!...Ok here's some more "sari-sari store paninda": Dried marinated pusit on a stick..hot or mild!......Malaya soft drinks in different flavors and colors!...Singkon'g ga-as(kerosene)..patis, toyo, suka sold in cups!....Tinatakal na bigas(remember those wooden square ganta and other measured containers?)....Kropek, candy limon(lima singko), pan de coco, sputnik buns, Posporo marca Gitara, the black cigarrette with the lady in patadyong on the log I think was "La Yebana"? and it sells normally together with "Sen Hoc Tong" or siyoktong and the all time diabetic sugar rush culprits....Tira-Tira and Bandi(with peanuts)
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Aura said...
Wow!! you really brought back old time memories to all your readers SE..I remember my 20 centavos na baon in my school days can buy me a bottle of pepsi & a "platito of pansit" for my merienda..and at the sari sari store is where my mom sends me to buy "Spam & itlog" pag walang ng budget for a proper meal.Imagine," Spam?" it cost so much this days!By the way, when we need toothpaste & we go to sari sari store to buy, why do we have to say, "pabile nga ng colgate" Wala ba sa tagalog vocabulary ang toothpaste?
We also had a sari sari store in the province when I was young, im not going to tell u more stories bcoz it will be long but, i remember our regular clients ( older women) buying a shot "sioktong" & "alhambra " cigarillo that they light & put the burning side inside their mouth & still manage to speak w/ burning cigarete inside..hahahah!!!those were the days!!!-
-= dave =- said...
I actually learned to buy things on my own (without getting cheated, most of the time) when I was 12. It's quite late, and this may be the reason why I can resist the consumerism nowadays.
What I did, though, was to accompany my playmates who would buy this junk food with teks inside. I wasn't into collecting teks (resist consumerism!), but I'd consume the spicy synthetic chips--for free :)-
reyd said...
Hahaha, Sundot Kulangot or Kulangot ng Intsik was one of our favorite snacks. Pero bihira na ang nagtitinda, galing pa kasi sa Northern provinces ang karamihan. Here's a photo of that delicacy.
http://www.estanli.net/blog/wp-content/uploads/2006/03/baguio06_14.jpg
And about the panaan during those days, maraming collection ang Tio ko, sinasanla sa kanya minsan yung mga bronzed arrows na may brush sa buntot. Nice craftsmanship, makimtab at matalim yung mga pana na may sima sa dulo. Some were just made out from umbrella wires.
He had a lot of stuffs na collateral ng mga may utang sa kanya. From weird devices, knives, balisong, martilyo and items that we don't know what it was use for to some old coins and promissory notes. Most were never retrieved by the owners. I really noticed that those sari-sari stores have a distinctive smell and up to now, when I was in Pinas and went to a corner store in Malabon, ganoon pa din ang amoy. Amoy Champoy! -- hahaha!-
Señor Enrique said...
With your such knowledge of all these typical sari-sari store merchandise, I'm surprised Ah Kong didn't hire you as a part time tindero, Pete :)
Would you believe that when I came back to Manila I bugged my sister to help be find and buy that "kulangot?" Didn't find any, much to my disappointment, BUT one day, we walked in to his mini mart and lo and bhold! It carries kulangot ng intsik, but the size was humongous -- bigger than my fist! I was ecstatic :)
I don't think any of our Tsinoy friends would be offended; Manong wasn't when I used to buy one from him :)
The tira-tira ... yes! I'd have one usually in the afternoons.
I don't remember Malaya soft drinks :(
The rest I do :)-
Señor Enrique said...
My Tiyang Inez, who was my second mom, used to smoke her cigarettes that way, Aura. I'd watch in awe -- as she put the lit end first inside her mouth; close her lips to hold it; and then go about with whatever she was doing -- paying me no mind.
My cousin also had a small store in our barrio in Subic, but I'd only get soft drinks from her. Her store was nothing compared to Manong's.
Amazing how brand names of multi national firms became generic -- kodak for camera, xerox for photocopy machines, and etc. ... hehehe. A branding nightmare for these huge firms.
My baon throughout high school was one peso.-
Señor Enrique said...
Hi Dave!
Bonifacio Elementary School in Tayuman had a children's store and bank in which we were required to work in (rotation with other students) for about an hour before the start of classes. This was to help us develop with our basic arithmetic skills.
Yes, 12 is rather late ... hehehe.
Did teks come from the brand name Texas gum that came with those cards?-
Señor Enrique said...
Oo nga ano? Amoy champoy nga ang mga karamihang sari-sari store :)
Your Tio should take care of those items and later on donate to a museum. They would make an interesting exhibit as part of our Pinoy life.
Thank you for the link, Rey. Yes! Ayan nga ang kulangot ng intsik na aking paborito :)
Nabanggit na ata ninyong lahat ang mga nakakatuwang paninda nila Manong, Tio, at Ah Kong. I'm sure masasaya na din sila kahit saan man sila naroroon ngayon kasi kasama sila sa mga ating kabataang ala-ala.
Mabuhay silang lahat!-
said...
Nakakatuwa talaga ang mga comments dito. Those childhood memories of sari sari store really amuse me, in fact, I am awed at how vividly and detailedly you guys can recall everything!
I don't have a particular sari sari store experience as a child, except that when I was 10 years old, my mother sent me to buy sugar at the nearby sari sari store. It was already sundown. When I was walking towards home, our dog, "Pepay" mistook me for a stranger. I ran, which was a big mistake, because she ran after me too - and caught my left thigh.
The next two weeks after that incident - I was a regular visitor at our doctor's clinic for anti-rabies shots - injected at my back. Ouch!
BTW, that 'kulangot' you are talking about is a specialty in Ilocos. It is called 'kalamay'. Nowadays, they are sold thinly rolled and individually wrapped in plastic, then packed in brown paper bags. Each bag contains 10 wraps. and yes, I can't blame you for having fondness for it. Masarap nga! I bought lots of it when I went to Vigan last January. :)-
Señor Enrique said...
Thank you for sharing with us the provenance of kulangot, Rhoda! So, when are you going back to Vigan? Hehehe.
I don't think Pepay mistook you for a stranger. She probably was harboring a long held "sama ng loob" against you and exploited the circumstance ... hahaha. But seriously, most dogs are kept in chains and consequently become vicious and would harm anyone, except those that directly feed them.-
reyd said...
On the word "Intsik", as a Tsinoy myself, I never get offended by that word since it came from the Amoy Chinese term for "uncle". As for beho or tulo laway, that's ok too, who would not do that when they see a lovely girl passing by? :) hahaha! We used to call each other by that name in our Chinese school.
Now back to reminiscing about the Sari-sari store. I just can't imagine what everyone would be without that kind of establishment in our community. I'm sure it would change our lifestyle. Families would have to buy a lot of items in one trip from the market and homes would need a bigger storage of those food items that last for a week or so and people would have to by a bigger cooler for those perishable items.
So, how about those poor Filipinos who can only afford to buy things that they need on day to day basis? Ahhh.... so many things to think about, I'm just glad someone started this kind of small business that serves a neighborhood.
I'm sure this blog-thread would be longer than others, I have one more story about a sari-sari store that started from out of the hip suggestion.-
Señor Enrique said...
As per my previous remark, Reyd, it is actually a community service these store owners provide to their communities.
As for the word intsik, for the life of me, I never associated it with any hint of derogation. My father used to hang out after work for dinner with some of the Chinese merchants in his business association in Santa Cruz, and they would often talk about colleagues and refer to them as intsik, batangenyo, ilocano or kastila -- without any malice. Thank you for sharing with us the real meaning of intsik, which is uncle :)
As for the kulangot, why on earth didn't anyone come up with a better name for it? Like matamis na buto ... hehehe.
Know what? I'll be in Binondo searching for some this weekend :)
Thanks again, Reyd!-
reyd said...
Here’s how my mother in law ended up with a sari-sari store. During the 80’s my father in law had just passed on and his wife ended up taking care of most of her grandchildren.
All her siblings decided to ask her to stay in our house since it is a lot closer to most of her grand kids and no one lives there except my nephew who’s studying so she brought her katulong na parang ampon na namin since her teen years.
As years gone by, she(Mader) got bored at home, her katulong suggested why not make a small carinderia for those construction workers building houses in our subdivision. So, they started to make some meals, mainly rice and ulam and soups. It became a hit that mother in law informed us that she wanted to make the stall bigger in our house. How can I disagree? My kumander agreed also, so we send some money and the rest of mader’s kids send more. And when I returned home in 1992, hahaha, my garage was converted into a sari-sari store and my old Lancer always parked on the street as what my nephew told me. Sabi ko, okay lang, and during some discussion, pati ako, nadulas sa salita na bakit hindi na lang gibain ang harap ng bahay at gawing harapan ng tindahan at gawing bodega yung garehe. Booom! Before I went back to the US, ginigiba na nga yung harapan ng bahay namin . During that time, nakausap ko yung former classmate ko who works in SMB, he was like a field manager of the distribution warehouse for soft drinks to beers. I made an arrangement with him to make her store a sort of a mini distribution area for smaller stores outside our subdivision. And it happened, until now, my garage is full of soda and beer products that I never heard of when I returned in 2001 and 2003. Sadly, Mader, passed away in 2004 and my nephew quit schooling and managing that store and her katulong got married to a fisherman from Navotas who still occasionally drop some catch of the day to our house and during her free time would man the store especially on weekends.
During that time, meron pa din pabunot and yung bunot ka ng piece of paper from a stack tapos lulubog mo sa tubig to reveal the number of a prize. Kakatuwa yung stocks nila ng Mah-ling, kalalagay lang sa display, ubos na kaagad.
I hope you have fun on your search for those mini matamis na bao in Binondo. I'm sure, they still sell that in Sto. Cristo, where variety of exotic candies and champoys are being sold.-
Señor Enrique said...
What a fascinating story, Reyd! I trust your nephew is enjoying his career as a retailer; I'm sure he does :)
Most business folks I've talked to claim that when setting up a business, striving to turn it into a successful enterprise is only half the battle; the other is having the luck to find reliable and diligent employees. So, your aunt was indeed fortunate to have had her katulong loyally at her side throughout.
Yes ... I remember that pabunot as well :)
Sto. Cristo? Where oh where is that? Hehehe.
I love hearing about success stories; thanks for sharing, Reyd!-
reyd said...
Opps,hehehe, Sto. Cristo st., I'm not sure if they changed the name, it is somewhere near where the Divisoria Mall is located. If you can't find it, just ask around, make sure you ask some old person. :) Duon kasi bumibili ng mga candies, snacks, Champoys and novelty items yung mga mayari ng sari-sari stores.
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gmirage said...
Lolz. From reading all the comments I get a peek at how the older sari sari stores in manila were, I was raised in a province kze...(Cavite) and we do have a lot of mushroom sari sari stores---When I as in college, the sari sari stores in Manila also own a payphone di ba?
Aside from all the stuff mentioned that I remember I also like the toasted bread with sugar, just forgot comepletely what its called....during summers the stores have sidelines too, aside from the 'Saging con yelo,' 'Mais con yelo,' Sago at gulaman, banana que, there's also fishballs that costs 25cents each....Later when I was in highschool there comes kikiam, squidballs, then yung itlog na kulay orange at yung 1 day chick??? Which I never really tried eating....lol. The sari sari stores tried to be a carinderia of sorts as well.
And yes as Rhoda said 'the kulangot' talked about (which really made me guffaw) can be bought from north of Luzon. As kids, we call it 'kulangot ng Igorot' since we can only buy it from Baguio kasama ng strawberry jam at walis tambo...-
said...
Bakit nakalimutan iyong Choco-Vim. Iyon bang inaalog bago inumin. Noong dalagita pa ako mahilig din akong umistambay sa tindahan, kanto ng Dart at Herran sa Paco. Iyong dalawang anak na babae (Marilu at Susan) ng mayari ng tindahan ay mga kaibigan ko. Minsan may isang batang lalaki na tila sampung taon bumili ng choco vim. Sa sobrang uhaw agad agad agad ininum. Sabi ni Marilu sa bata, "bakit hindi mo inalog iyong Choco-vim mo?" Iyong bata biglang nag hula hula pagkatapos sabi niya "O di inalog ko na!"
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Señor Enrique said...
Hehehe!
Nice story!!!
