Ala'y Kadami namin sa PEBA 2011!

Although they announced me as coming from Makati (that is my city address) I am a native Batangueña. If you haven't read it in my rants yet, I am a hot-blooded balisong wielding *kidding but I did have one before for protection* girl from Cuta Looban, Batangas City. Heck I am named after our patron Sto. Nino. (GAH, I still can't get over that they mentioned my name at Trinoma and got it broadcasted all over the universe- yes, I believe the aliens tapped our feed and HEARD MY NAME- I was like *see video uploaded on facebook - see me hold my scarf to my face when the lady host said that they would tell the winners name outloud - again GAAAAAAAAAAAAH)

I was really happy that there were a few other Batanguenyos this year. Two, I believe.

One of them was from Padre Garcia Batangas

TOP 3 OFW Supporter Blog
Aral sa isang Guro, Tuyong Tinta ng Bolpen
Padre Garcia, Batangas
Joel D Laig

and the other smiley guy who sat behind me with his honey is from Tanauan.

TOP 7
Balikbayan Box, Kwentong Makulit parang ulay sa puwet
Tanauan City Batangas
Mark Alvin L. Sunpayco

I didn't get to talk to them all that much but I took pictures of them as much as my shaky camera could take. *me wants dslr or a tablet - like the one JP used during his speech*

I think more Batanguenyos should blog. Men I mean. Women in my home province talk waaaaaaaaay too much already. Batangueños are known to be barako, simpatiko, matinik sa pambobola *oh don't get me started on the numerous myths about men from Lipa* I think people think they know a lot about us, but I bet that half of those stuff are just assumptions and generalizations.

One of which is that we are loud. When I was a kid, I didn't know that I was loud. When I went to college I realized that I was louder than loud. ^.^ When my friends were in the same car as me and my father and my mom told me my cousin got knocked up, they realized why I was the way that I was. And that is when they realized I didn't know I was loud.

The other one is that we all know how to use a balisong or that we are warfreaks. I can't refute the second one, our province is one of the rays of the sun in the flag after all. But when we believe that we are in the right, we do anything and everything to get our way or fight for it. It comes in handy that we are *loud*.

The third and often odd thing that people ask about me is the ALA EH accent. 

It's funny because people go "Taga-Batangas ka, bakit ganyan ka magsalita?"

I have to smile and mentally shake my head for the off-hand moronic remark the person made. Honestly, I have been an Inglesera since I was a kid. And I have the accent down when I am mad as a bull. But since I am a CommArts Major and love making voices, I can speak in different accents. My working accent is neutral to American because of my training in school and in call centers. 

if you understood what this said, hello kabayan!

Not everyone can't revert to ba and keep using ga and a hoard of Tagalog words that not a lot of people can crack down in the beginning. But you will find no friendlier person than a Batangueño. Sometimes...way too friendly. ^.^ So beware. Pikot is not an uncommon thing in my hometown. Believe me. So if you go there to attend a festival, be sure not to smile too much at the ladies of the house. No, we won't put stuff in the food. But Batangueñas are as hot as our coffee and as bittersweet addictive as well.

The last one is that we all drink coffee. I dated guys who have Batangueño blood but one of them can't drink coffee. His heart can't take it. But coffee is part of our identity and breakfast. If you see a person putting coffee in their rice, do not scream, panic or say gross. You never know what you are missing and it's our rice so bug off. Batangueños are notorious for doing this. We like sabaw in our food. I found it hard to grasp that sabaw came in a seperate mangkok when I eat at some places. In my home, we had it in the serving bowl, I used the serving ladle to put sabaw on my plate and make my rice swim in it. Ika nga, kanya-kanya tayo ng trip. Walang basagan ng trip.

But one other thing that I know about us that I wouldn't mind people to tell others about us is that our family is crazy close. Twenty people is a small group when it comes to family outings in my family.

Sure there are people who had bad family history but underneath all the drama, a Batangan family takes care of their own. I know this well in my own and my family is sooo...(that is a story for another time)

So to my kababayan (literal) congratulations! ^.^ Manggulit pa kayo ng iba para meron ulet next year!!! Go Batangas Blades (ay basketball?)!!! Go PEBA!!!