Bombay

I used to think the world is small since I bump into people I know in bizarre circumstances. Those small-world encounters started this blog. Then again, I realized maybe it’s just because I move in very small tight-knit circles. And this classic Bombay story is an illustration of the many intersections of the Venn diagrams I inhabit.

No, this is not related to anything Indian at all.

In our dialect Hiligaynon, the term for onion is Bombay.

Shifting from Hiligaynon to Tagalog is a bit of a challenge for any Ilonggo or Ilongga when it comes to fruits and vegetables. Translating bahay kubo may not be simple after all.

In one of those long road trips where you get to talk about anything, a friend related a story about her search for onions in a sari-sari store somewhere in Project 6.

Fresh from Iloilo, she has only been in Manila for a few days when she decided to buy onions. And in a sari-sari store where you have to say what you want, (just like in life, sorry can’t help inserting this)  to get what you want.

And alas! For a moment, she forgot where she was and asked for BOMBAY! Of course she got a strange and annoyed stare from Aling Nena. Of course Aling Nena’s tindahan doesn’t sell Indians.

We laughed about this to no end. I shared this funny story with my brother in Iloilo.

bawang (I asked Tin for a picture of a bawang when I really meant sibuyas, hay)

Fast forward a few months later, my brother was in a party in Iloilo. And he overheard the same story told in a first person perspective from a stranger. He immediately sent me an SMS and asked how the owner of the Bombay story looked like.

I called him instantly and yes, as soon as he picked up the phone, the high-pitched laughter in the background confirmed that my friend is also in the party where my brother is.

Bombay (Thanks Tin for the picture!)

That’s how I introduced my brother to a stranger over the phone.

And that’s how Bombay got an entry of its own.