From the Nipa Hut!

As I write this, I'm listening to a girl in her teens singing Like A Virgin on the karaoke. She sings as if she's in the shower, with pitches and tones going here and there. 

Welcome to Tupi, South Cotabato.

Tupi is a small town between General Santos City and Marbel. It is so small that virtually everyone knows everyone else here. Tupi is my father's hometown. His side of the family owns a generous amount of space here. The space was eventually developed into a resort, which explains why I have to bear with the singing teenager, who now changed the song to Lucky by Britney Spears.

For years now, we have spent almost every Christmas and New Year here. Yes, it sucks to be away from my friends for the holidays. Plus, it seems crazy to only have one channel on the TV and one station on the radio. And not to mention the daily power interruption. But then, on the lighter and brighter side of things, it is only here where I get to do lots of things.

My Davao waking time is 7 am, 8 am max. Here, I have to get up at six because everyone else is up and I can't miss breakfast. I get to cook, clean, do gardening, babysit for the rest of the day. I practically have so many things to do that the only time I feel tired is when the day ends.

I enjoy the simplicity of the place. Going out doesn't require an hour of preparation. People would be staring at you if you wore something fashion-forward. The meals always include vegetables and fruits, snacks would mean kakanin. No lasagna, fries, cheese burger.

No 24/7 internet connection, no cable tv, no gimmick spots. It seems like a retreat place for me and staying here is a detoxification process. Before I go to sleep, I always have so many thoughts to scribble down each night.


By now, the teenager decided to make a female rendition of 25 Minutes by Michael Learns to Rock. And though her voice makes me scratch my head, I can only sigh.

This is Tupi. My Dad's hometown, slowly becoming my own too.

Cheers!