Lazy Sunday morning

What to do on a lazy Sunday morning?

The kids and the neighborhood are still sleeping. Only the hushed activities of the kasambahays are audible as they hurriedly finish their chores before they go on their day off. Once in a while, the varied imitations of my niece's myna bring to life the characters that passed its way - the hoots and calls of the sikad drivers, the calls of the ambulant fish vendor 'Isda! Isda!' so realistic it seems the fish vendor is just nearby, and the impatient calls of a neighbor's visitor 'Nik! Nikkk! Nikkkk!', which somehow, this morning I was thankful the myna has not heard any cuss words from the passersby.

The day is bright and the rains of the past days made the plants and the surroundings green and clean. I am out in our garden with the laptop to surf for the day's news. But it is such a beautiful morning that even the news could not sway my attention from sapping in all that beauty.

We go to mass every Saturday evening. Therefore our family’s Sunday mornings are meant to recharge the spirit, to catch up on lost sleep, to think of what has been in the past days and what will be in the coming days.

And to take a slow and simple breakfast to accompany the early musings of the day.


This Sunday morning, I have brewed coffee with pandesal and butter. And, have you remembered the taste of traditional oven-baked pandesal sold at dawn by ambulant boys of yesteryears shouting ‘Naaaapay!’? When in Iloilo City, particularly in Jaro, you don’t have to look any farther for the best pandesal. It is delivered daily – still hot - by vendors. And it tastes like the real pandesal of yesteryears - crisp and crackling outside, but soft and not too sweet inside with that pandesal taste that differentiates pandesal from monay, pan de leche or croissant. It is popularly called Pandesal Ni Paa, after the Panaderia ni Paa that baked it. The panaderia is found across the street from the Jaro Police Precinct beside the Jaro Plaza. According to its signboard, the panaderia was established in 1896. And that could be the reason why it bakes the best pandesal in Iloilo.



With piping hot coffee, buttered pandesal, a sunny perfect day, and a surrounding seemingly screened by a bower of leafy and flowery vines from a sickening and problematic world, what more can one ask? The kids are healthy and happy, the family seemed worry-free, and friends are just nearby to lend a helping hand, if in case. And there is no expensive maintenance drug to propel my waking days.

Life is not perfect. Life is full of problems. But there are plenty of reasons to be thankful about. For one, I thank God for giving me lazy Sunday mornings.

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