Today is one of the celebrations I will never miss in my birth month. Aside from Men's Mental Health Month, Pride Month, Gemini Month, and a one-month birthday celebration, I am also celebrating my third year living in the Province of Pangasinan.
At first, it was tough for me to live in another province because I lived in Cavite Province (where Tagalog dialect is different from the Tagalog language that I'm speaking) for 8 years, which is somewhat nearer to my hometown, Metro Manila. However, in this setting, it is farther from my hometown, which has various cultures, beliefs, and dialects.
As time went by, I got used to their dialects (Ilocano and Pangasinan), traveled to different cities and towns (Bautista, Bayambang, Rosales, Balungao, Dasol, Urdaneta, Binmaley, Lingayen, Binalonan, Alcala, Dagupan, Tayug, and San Carlos) in the province, and met several people who had a significant impact on my life.
However, I still miss my hometown, and I haven't visited it in two years. Living in this province gave the urban kid twists and turns, and I enjoyed my stay here in this province.
I still want to learn more about my mother's home province, Pangasinan, from their dialect, culture, beliefs, and the people itself.