I Live in Cavite

I get different reactions when I say where my residence is. Three out of 5 are negative – mostly distance and traffic related. As far as traffic is concerned, yes, the traffic can get really ugly (especially on Saturdays) at times but normally it’s just an hour ride from Makati to Imus. So how is it different from Makati to Quezon City?

We, Erwin (my husband) and myself, decided on Cavite because:

1. We could afford the lot size we wanted – not less than 200 sq.m. In other words, Cavite was within our budget.

The 216 sq. m. lot we got sometime 2004…

The home we built. We call it the green house for obvious reasons. We had the exterior of the house painted just last month.

2. Fresher air – my eldest, Renmund, is asthmatic and I have allergic rhinitis. When we lived in Metro Manila, a year never passed without Renmund getting hospitalized because of asthma.
   
3. For a change – for me at least. I grew up in the North – Nueva Vizcaya and Balintawak are my hometowns. So why not try the south?

My Lola Aning’s (we fondly call her Lola A) garden in Bayombong. Lola A is my paternal grandmother - Dadufalza side. Bayombong is very close to my heart. I studied in St. Mary's College from Nursery to Grade 3. Till today, we try our best to least go home every Holy Week or October - my Lola A's birthday. She's now 86.

The 45-minute Advantage

One of the two positive reactions is the fact that Tagaytay is just a 45-minute drive from our place - our advantage. Tagaytay is a lovely place. I pray that it stays that way. I hope that modernization and urbanization will not spoil it.

Last Mother’s Day, Erwin treated me to lunch at Taj of Tagaytay, an Indian Restaurant. Then we had coffee at Bag of Beans and drove around. It was then that I realized that Tagaytay indeed has so much to offer. The 45-minute drive was really something to be envied. When others would have to plan a major out-of-town gimik, with overnight stay, reservations, lodging, and all the fuss that go with a major road-trip, we could just easily hop in the car and drive to Tagaytay without much effort and planning.

My Vow

I always count my blessings and living in Cavite is one of them. I know the place has so much to offer and it would be my obligation (to myself) to discover each one of them (thanks to my Net-ferences). I'm starting with Tagaytay. I vow to conquer the “Probably The Most Pleasant City In Asia” and share it through this blog.

So join me in my journey!

Lunch at Leslie’s sometime April 2007.

It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to have lunch at Leslie's. That day we saw Renmund's doctor, whose clinic is in Dasmarinas, Cavite, and after the appointment, we all decided we wanted to have lunch in Tagaytay!

We had Sisig, Crispy Pata and Laing. That day we didn't order Leslie's famous Sizzling Bulalo because we had that during our last visit.

My sons, Irvin (in orange) and Renmund (in blue), enjoying the magnificent view of the Taal Volcano. They never get tired of it. After every lunch at Leslie's they'd both sit almost at the same spot and just gaze.