Summer on the Streets

When it’s hot out – especially during summer – you’re first instinct will always be to find the nearest thing to grab and cool you down. But sometimes, it pays to embrace the summer heat and get the most out of it! Especially in the Philippines, being a nation in the tropics, summer can somehow be extreme but there are also dry days that have been kissed with a cool breeze.

Divisoria is filled with many possibilities. And the Urban Life Team, while on our very special day-off, got really into it and found plenty of possibilities for your summer adventures within the streets! These finds are what really made our summer break fun – well not as much fun as going to Camigiun for the weekend though. But hey, you know what they say, ‘When life gives you lemons, make Lemonade!’

SIP AND CHILL AT THE PARK!

During ourday-offs, Dave, Jillian and I, especially with the summer heat getting warmer every year, would end up strolling around the streets of Divisoria. The first item on our list is always the Buko Juice. We somehow always land on the same spot. I like it because it’s cold and Jillian, well it’s buko juice – she just loves it. Dave is also a big fan of buko juice; to quench his thirst and fight off the summer heat.We even got to the point where the manong selling the buko juice would have big smiles when we arrive. The juice by cup is for only 5 or 10 Pesos. It’s fresh and milky and it has some tender coconut meat in it too! Our biggest advice – don’t forget to ask for a refill! It’s for free! Though the handy buko juice in-a-cup is much more convenient and, well, more delicious, we unanimously opted for the whole Butong – with the husk and all. We then made our way to Duaw Park. Dave got all excited.Believe it or not it was Dave’s first time at Duaw Park located near the city’s St. Agustin Cathedral Church, it’s a new place that was renovated into a park by our City mayor’s wife Arlene Moreno, which offers a great view of Cagayan de Oro’s river side. Dave had always been intrigued about the place that he only keeps passing by it most of the time, but never got a chance to experience it for himself.

We always believed in enjoying the simple things that life has to offer; especially moments such as this that doesn’t happen frequently when all three of us are on a day off and free the whole afternoon to wander the streets of CDO. We wondered who planned the trip, but thank God that we came over Duaw Park. We march right to the park and began understanding why people love to go down the place with their loved ones. Dave had his moments where he was just simply taking-in the exotic and stunning view of the river and came to an understanding of what he has been missing out and that other locals have been enjoying ever since the park came to be. He even said that a bunch of ideas came rushing in while sipping his buko juice and one idea came up “I want to do a Fun shoot,” he said because the place is just that fascinating to him. He added that, “hopefully next time we would have the opportunity to conduct a Photoshoot at Duaw Park one of this days.”

But if in case you don’t feel like drinking buko juice on that day, we would greatly suggest indulging on some other cold street favorites instead of grabbing a bottle of soda. There’s this stall along the corner of Pabayo-Hayes streets at Divisoria that has been serving delicious cups of fresh Fruit Salad. Now this is where Jillian would really be excited about – well there are times she gets crazy when she’s really craving for it. One time, after work, she would even drag me down the street because she can’t wait to get her fill. When we don’t have enough to buy two cups, we chip-in and just split one large cup, that way we get to enjoy it without ruining our appetite. For at least 15 Pesos, we got to enjoy spoonfuls of juicy red watermelon, crunchy apples, summery mangoes, and some delicious papaya. There are even days where they would add new fruits to the mix, which is always an exciting treat! What made it special for Jillian is when the mix that time had yellow watermelon instead of the usual red one. She got so excited and kept telling how much she loved it over and over again. And after all the fruits are munched down, you just drink the rest of it! Again, cheap yet very satisfying; we sometimes even go back for more!!!

BITE AND MUNCH!

After quenching the heat, something to bite and munch on would be a good idea. Now it’s summer. What should you be grabbing and eating? Might we suggest the vast array of goodies along the Pabayo Street? Well it’s actually in between the streets of Pabayo-Chavez and Pabayo-Hayes.

If you like something fried, the street can offer you a stick of fried Proben for just 5 Pesos! Crunchy and juicy – it’s really a treat that only Kagaya-anons get to enjoy. If you haven’t notice it before, the cart always has 3 sauces to choose from. This made it easier for us because Jillian likes it spicy. Dave on the other hand likes the vinegar dip and would even go back for more. I would always go for the original – sweet yet savory with a little kick. And of course, to make the meal more satisfying and complete, we would always pair it with Puso, sold only at 5 Pesos each! We sometimes make a mess but for us, proben will not be proben without the puso – hungry or not!

Aside from proben, there are also other popular choices. At our suki, there is always an abundance of juicy and flavorful just-fried Chicken Thighs for only 12 Pesos and the Drumsticks for 15 Pesos! I go for the thighs while Jillian and Dave take turns on picking-out drumsticks. We may appear very silent to some people but deep inside we are really enjoying our every bite. Sometimes, when we just couldn’t help ourselves, we end up saying how good it is.  There are also steamed goods like the Siomai stalls offering selections – be it pork, beef, or chicken – for at least 10 – 30 Pesos. Jillian, being a girl who likes spice, would really asked for more chili paste but Dave and I aren’t as brave as her – I guess we can’t handle heat. Again, all perfect with puso!

Satisfaction in every bite!

SHOP WITHOUT THE DROP!

After having our fill, we would then head to Divisoria and shop at the Ukay-Ukay stalls – well it’s mostly me and Jillian but Dave always seems to find sometime he likes. We even sometimes split up because we are looking for different stuffs. Personally, we find it also a good way to ignore the heat. Taking your time and pace in search of a great piece of clothing or maybe a whole outfit puts all your attention on the moment making you less aware of how warm it actually is.

Jillian is always in search of her favorite maxi skirts sometimes maxi dresses but nevertheless she would always go crazy for them – from what I could remember there isn’t a time when she wasn’t excited whenever she finds a great piece. She just loves shopping for them, even if she already has plenty of it in her closet. She would even say out loud how she would pair it with other pieces she has.  Dave, being an outdoorsman, goes for the bags and other outdoor things. While I go straight for pants because it’s only in ukay-ukay that I am confident that I can find my size no matter what; actually, the best moment for me is when I get to buy more than 1 pair of jeans that really fit me well because that rarely happens.

It’s really great when you’re able to do this kind of things with a friend or with the Urban Life Team. There was onetime I had to really call out to Jillian because I found this great denim vest but did not have the money to buy it so I had to borrow some from her. That’s one thing both Jillian and I are always dreading – finding a great item but not being able to buy it. By the way you should always take note before paying for something is that you have to thoroughly check it – that’s always on our checklist. If there are holes, stains and other unfortunate things that made their way to an item you love, you really have to decide if you love it enough to actually purchase it despite having some obvious problems. But if it can still be amended, fixed, altered or transformed, then there is no harm in buying them. And of course! Do not forget and don’t be afraid to ask for discounts – even big ones. It’s all part of the experience. If you need some advice in making tawad to the tinder, you can ask Jillian for some – she is really great in getting the big discounts.

What’s great with spending a part of your summer on the streets is that you get to enjoy the view. I know what you’re thinking – what’s great about the streets? Well, discovering what a particular city offers. We did not really find something fresh but the experience, the conversation, and the laughters are all brand new. Just like what Dave said, it’s pretty rare for us three to really have a time-off together so when we do hang-out together, there’s always something new happening and to talk about. I don’t really know why but we have gotten used to so many new things that we tend to forget that little simple stuff like slurping buko juice with your family, eating street food with your friends, enjoying the cool breeze at Duaw Park, even strolling around Divisoria under an umbrella. Spending your summer doesn’t have to be at some far away beach resort or other places for that matter. There are still many things to discover within the streets. You just have to do it, one step at a time.