SENSIBLE Whether you, are an ordinary Alfonseño, an eager Balikbayan or a curious new-comer to Alfonso, you will all extremely enjoy the unusual sight and sound of the unique modern community. All your senses shall be highly stimulated as quickly as upon your arrival. The main Mabini street from the welcome arch at Palinta which used to welcome anyone with a pleasant decency is now a virtual Matket Place complete with all the market trimmings up to the far north end of the road. You will hear all kinds of sounds with their intricate timbers from bells emitted from many school in the vicinity, to roaring of different intensity produced by hurrying tricycles, jeepneys, giant buses and hundreds of motorcycles hurrying left and right at no particular pattern, multiple private cars that are now more common than common colds. Be ready for irritating tinnitus or little deafness later. You may no longer experience the smell of pilipig and other native flavors but as you stroll down you won’t miss the scent of different fishes, of garbage from many corners and assorted other smells most difficult to describe, coming from everywhere. To end up with allergic running nose is not uncommon. Merely looking around will provide you with multitude of eye-sores ranging from hanging broken posters, uneven signs, dumped garbage, graffiti of all kinds and the likes. At the end of your visual scanning be ready for a genuine eye sores. It is also interesting to try your calisthenics from avoiding the many movements of almost everything along your way merely to prevent any serious accident that may harm you greatly if not avoided. All these are easily experienced from what used to be the most welcoming street of the town. Other streets and Baranggays have their own peculiarities but as a whole as I always say, Alfonso remains a Paradise. After all your senses have experienced all the negative effects of a rotting world, if you make a little introspection you will easily realize that behind all the dark and unfavorable results of unguarded progress lies still the unaffected paradise of people unchanged by a cruel though supposedly more civilized society. You will still meet the ever helpful and understanding friends, the welcoming, kind and loving relatives. Behind the mechanical and unethical noise everywhere, women are still cooking delicious kakanins and many well-loved delicacies such as tabliya, achara, pastillas, valenciana, tinumis, adobo, sampurado, palarusdus, puto, kutsina, and many many more especially the most symbolic palutang. Men are still working hard for their families. Women still attend to their homes and children. Lolos still quickly shares their wisdoms and experiences as Lolas remain prayerful, loving and hospitable. Young men and women still value their reputation and are aware of life’s values. Religious chapels of different sects are everywhere. It is therefore not surprising that there are no Beer Houses or Red cottages as there are also no big factories and multiple employees coming from everywhere. Beautiful Resorts are sprouting left and right. No wonder Alfonso is quickly turning into a Retirees Haven. My only fear, God forbid, is the time when Alfonso shall be peopled by retirees from everywhere displacing the original Alfonseños and Allfonseñas who kept the culture and heritages of this Paradise for a long, long time. When that happens I'll be turning in my grave in protest because being an incurable patriotic of the old town, I belong to Alfonso as Alfonso belongs to me.