No self-respecting
Lucena native
will be caught
eating pancit
lukban any other
way (above).
Lucena is now
home (again) to
my family
Lucena native
will be caught
eating pancit
lukban any other
way (above).
Lucena is now
home (again) to
my family
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Tried eating straight out of a banana leaf?
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| l a k b a y a n |
filglobe.com
filipino globe online edition
In Lucena, my adopted home, it's an art and a proud tradition
LOURDJEAN-TORRES BALDIVIA LUCENA CITY
I am from Calamba City, birthplace of Dr Jose P Rizal. I was born in Pansol,
where hot springs abound and where every other house has a private
swimming pool (a little exaggerated, I know).
I am an adopted daughter of Quezon, home of Manuel Quezon, the first
president of the Commonwealth.
LOURDJEAN-TORRES BALDIVIA LUCENA CITY
I am from Calamba City, birthplace of Dr Jose P Rizal. I was born in Pansol,
where hot springs abound and where every other house has a private
swimming pool (a little exaggerated, I know).
I am an adopted daughter of Quezon, home of Manuel Quezon, the first
president of the Commonwealth.
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He was using
only his
mouth, just
leaning over
while holding
the banana
leaf and
expertly
maneuvering
the pancit to
his mouth
only his
mouth, just
leaning over
while holding
the banana
leaf and
expertly
maneuvering
the pancit to
his mouth
In 1978, my family moved to Lucena City from
Calamba due to my father’s work assignment.
After three years, we moved back to Calamba
and the next thing I know, I was relocating to
Lucena City in 1998 with my own family.
Lucena City is not too far from Calamba
(depending on whether you are travelling by
public transport or not). Moving to this city gave
me my first taste of culture change.
It wasn’t a very drastic change but
nevertheless, worth a piece of article to write
about.
Of course, the dialect was the same, but there
were some words that I have never heard
before. Intonation was also a bit different but
Calamba due to my father’s work assignment.
After three years, we moved back to Calamba
and the next thing I know, I was relocating to
Lucena City in 1998 with my own family.
Lucena City is not too far from Calamba
(depending on whether you are travelling by
public transport or not). Moving to this city gave
me my first taste of culture change.
It wasn’t a very drastic change but
nevertheless, worth a piece of article to write
about.
Of course, the dialect was the same, but there
were some words that I have never heard
before. Intonation was also a bit different but
being new to the place, you are always the odd-sounding NKOTB (new kid
on the block).
Fashion was also not very different – everyone in Lucena City was late-70s-
early-80s type, as everyone was in Laguna then.
Food was somewhat different. Dishes and the way of cooking show a little
variation from the way people in Laguna do their food.
Seawater fish are different from the freshwater variety found in Laguna Lake.
Coming from an average family in Laguna, shrimps and crabs were always
“special occasion” fare, whereas in Lucena City, they were almost everyday
fare (and it was not because my father got promoted very often or won a
lottery).
My first acquaintance with pancit lukban was rather amusing. My stepmother,
who was from Gumaca, Quezon was excited to introduce me to the habhab
and she was disappointed when it was served in a small plate, not on a
piece of banana leaf as is customary.
Then she pointed to a middle-aged man standing near the road eating pancit
habhab – and he was not using a fork!
He was using only his mouth, just leaning over while holding the banana leaf
and expertly maneuvering the pancit to his mouth.
My other encounters with Quezonians who eat pancit lukban the habhab way
increased daily as I began my new life in Lucena City. It may be an
unglamorous way to eat pancit, but for sure, the Quezonians didn’t mind. I
have seen office people, students and others who did it no matter how they
were dressed.
This year, my family will be celebrating the 10th year of our residence in
Lucena City.
I have not left or abandoned my Calamba roots but I have blended well with
Quezonian life.
My children, who were all born in Calamba, are happy here and though they
have all mastered eating pancit lukban the habhab way, I still haven’t.
My youngest son, the family clown, would even finish several servings of the
pancit, and after the last serving, he’d fold the banana leaf and dab it over his
mouth – as if fine-dining at the Aristocrat Restaurant. Err ...
on the block).
Fashion was also not very different – everyone in Lucena City was late-70s-
early-80s type, as everyone was in Laguna then.
Food was somewhat different. Dishes and the way of cooking show a little
variation from the way people in Laguna do their food.
Seawater fish are different from the freshwater variety found in Laguna Lake.
Coming from an average family in Laguna, shrimps and crabs were always
“special occasion” fare, whereas in Lucena City, they were almost everyday
fare (and it was not because my father got promoted very often or won a
lottery).
My first acquaintance with pancit lukban was rather amusing. My stepmother,
who was from Gumaca, Quezon was excited to introduce me to the habhab
and she was disappointed when it was served in a small plate, not on a
piece of banana leaf as is customary.
Then she pointed to a middle-aged man standing near the road eating pancit
habhab – and he was not using a fork!
He was using only his mouth, just leaning over while holding the banana leaf
and expertly maneuvering the pancit to his mouth.
My other encounters with Quezonians who eat pancit lukban the habhab way
increased daily as I began my new life in Lucena City. It may be an
unglamorous way to eat pancit, but for sure, the Quezonians didn’t mind. I
have seen office people, students and others who did it no matter how they
were dressed.
This year, my family will be celebrating the 10th year of our residence in
Lucena City.
I have not left or abandoned my Calamba roots but I have blended well with
Quezonian life.
My children, who were all born in Calamba, are happy here and though they
have all mastered eating pancit lukban the habhab way, I still haven’t.
My youngest son, the family clown, would even finish several servings of the
pancit, and after the last serving, he’d fold the banana leaf and dab it over his
mouth – as if fine-dining at the Aristocrat Restaurant. Err ...
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