Being reunited with loved ones is one of the greatest joys in life, especially when it comes to family. In our case, half of our relatives reside in Caduawan, Tabogon, while the other half live in Lapulapu City. Although we have many family members in the city, they always come back to the province for special occasions, family gatherings, or when there are important matters to attend to. Today was one of those special occasions, as my aunts and grandmother came home to take care of some important property matters. It was also a perfect day to unwind and enjoy the beach with my family. Join me in my blog as I share the wonderful experience we had at the beach.
In the photo above, my beau is cooking roast meat or ”humba” as we call this recipe in our Cebuano language, while a big pot of rice simmers on the other side. Rice is a staple food in many Asian countries, especially the Philippines, where no meal is complete without it. Today, we are preparing roast pork and rice to bring to the beach, along with grilled fish that we plan to cook on site.
Check out this photo of my cousins in the van on the way to the beach! We've got a full house, but there are even more cousins who couldn't make it this time around. This is not yet one fourth of the total population of my cousins. I indeed came from a big family. The kids are getting super hyped to hit the water - and to be honest, so am I. I'm a total beach bum and I can't wait to get there. Our house is just a quick thirty minute drive away, and we're headed to Tagasa Beach Resort in Tabogon for the day. Let's go!
We have finally arrived at Tagasa Beach Resort, Tabogon, Cebu City, Philippines. As you can see, there are plenty of fishing boats scattered throughout the area as there are a lot of fishermen in Tabogon. The cottages are simple and are priced 250 pesos each, you can use it from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, it's a great spot to store our belongings while spending time at the beach. The surrounding area of the beach resort in Tabogon is quite lovely.
As soon as we arrived at the beach, my cousins were very excited to see the place. They had to do a pose. It was high tide when we arrived and it was indeed a perfect day to go for a swim.
The boys were very excited as well. They did not wait to change clothes. From the truck, they ran, heading towards the beach. It's amazing to see the children reunited with their cousins after some time. These days, it's rare to spend some time with them because most of my cousins live in the city.
Because we were rushing to head to the place, we forgot to bring the goggles my son had in his room. I went to the market and bought two goggles, and the children were thrilled to use them. On the first photo, my son used the orange googles and on the second photo, my cousin borrowed the yellow green one. There were a lot of fish and sea urchins, so it was great to see what was underwater.
Attached is a photo of a deliciously grilled fished we cooked. Although there were more fished that we grilled, I was unable to capture them all due to my business. One of the best parts of a beach trip is having a grilled meal, and we decided to indulge in some delectable grilled fish. The fish was cooked to perfection and complemented our tender meat perfectly.
In Cebuano language, this roast meat is called ”Humba”. We prepared it before heading to the beach. Preparing it is straightforward; just add pork to the pan and let it simmer with soy sauce and other seasonings. We also added onions, garlic, and Laurel leaves for more flavor. It is essential to add pepper for more flavor. Roast meat or ”humba” is a popular Filipino dish and a personal favorite.
As we waited for the other grilled fish to cook, the sound of children laughing caught my attention. I turned to see my cousins enjoying the waves and each other's company. It was a rare and happy moment of them being reunited, so I snapped a photo of them striking a pose. They looked absolutely adorable!
In the photo, my aunt and other cousins can be seen cleaning approximately 3 meters away from where the children are swimming and having fun. They are removing the fish bones and intestines for the fresh fish salad that we will be having. This salad is a favorite among adults, as it consists of raw fish with onion, lemon, tomato, ginger, vinegar, and a lot of chili for added spice.
That is my cousin right there and he struck a pose with his son. I was delighted to see him in this rash guard. I gave this to him and my son used to own this.
Jacob | Summer 2018
As you can see, my son previously owned that rash guard. All I can say is I am amazed at how fast the time flies. He used to be that cute little boy the same as my cousin's son, and now, in November, he will be turning nine! That is why, as parents, we must always make time for our children because time will never run back, and we will never notice how much time has passed.
Unfortunately, I was unable to capture us having lunch as I was busy assisting my younger cousins. However, we did take a photo right outside the cottage we rented after lunch. It was a joyous moment as we were all reunited with my grandmother and aunts. Later, they had some errands to attend to at the Tabogon Sports Complex, we continued our fun day of swimming and hanging out with my younger cousins.
While I was headed to the beach, my son was shouting my name as he had something to show me. What a lot of starfish, indeed, of different colors, sizes, and forms. I was amazed to see all these starfish that they got from the sea. I'm not particularly sure what the names of the starfish are, but generally, they're all starfishes, and normally, kids will always be amazed to see these.
I was indeed amazed to see the different starfishes; most of all, the blue one caught my attention right then. I took a photo of my son together with all the starfishes, but then, right after that, I told him to throw it back into the sea. I explained to my son how useful and essential starfishes are in the sea and how important starfishes are to maximizing the population of fishes. It is no good to play with it because it has life, and it does not deserve to be on the shore. It was a good thing my son understood, and he returned all the starfishes back to the sea. It is always fun to be able to educate your son with the actual things that they can see and experience.
It was such a fun day with my family and people closest to my heart, but we had to head back home first and did not wait for them and the others because I got so sleepy. I had a minimal amount of sleep because I had just gotten out from work before I went here to the beach. We then went home and had a nap. It was a tiring yet delightful day indeed, Ciao!