by Jozel Villamayor

A cheerful crowd bravely chomped on freshly cooked tuyo at Hawrelak Park on a mild Sunday afternoon this past August 9.

Hawrelak Park, blessedly restored after the happy chaos of Heritage Days a week before, was relatively empty, allowing the rare pleasure of indulging in the Philippine staple dish. The Quezonians, referring to the Quezonian Club of Edmonton, a group of individuals that either grew up in or could trace their ancestry back to the lands of Quezon, the sixth largest province in the Philippines.

As with most Filipino gatherings, there was no shortage of food. There was everything from pancit, to dinuguan, to large trays of toron. It was a definite feast for the palate enjoyed not only by the Quezonians, but by also several of the neighboring picnickers and occasional passersby welcomed by traditional Pinoy hospitality and enthusiasm. When asked about the province's culinary specialty, a couple of ladies just laughed and pointedly looked at the dish at hand and exclaimed, "LAING!" They continued with, "anything with gata. That's our specialty." As an aside, they finally said, "We [Quezon] has a lot of coconuts," therefore explaining the widespread use of its derivative- gata.

No Filipino party would be complete without music, therefore it wasn't surprising when the sounds of guitar and classic English and OPM songs filled the air. Armed with a couple of guitars and ancient songbook, the Quezonians showed off that they didn't need much more than that to have a rousing good time.