Easter and Christians

Christians are celebrating their Easter (supposed to be the resurrection of the Christ) with eggs. Colored, painted and hidden eggs.

Comments from Ricky Maestrado:

Like Halloween, Santa Claus, and even Sinulog are among the many pagan traditions adopted by early Christians just because it falls on the same time of the year as with another Christian event. (And also back then, it would be easier for them to convert the local non-believers if they could show that Christianity is somehow connected with their traditions.)

The bunny, eggs, chicks, even lambs and daffodils are all to do with the spring season which symbolizes rebirth like the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The influence in the Philippines, however, is due to commercialization and has nothing to do with religion.

Drawing from lynnrockets.wordpress.com

The festival has begun

Three days before the Sinulog Mardi Gras, the streets of Cebu are already bursting with the sights and sounds and smell of fiesta. No, wait, the celebrations has started since last week actually.

So if you are planning to visit Cebu City this weekend be prepared to master the art of eluding massive crowds or else have your patience extended 700 times seven.

Pit Senyor!

Little piggy's life story ends on Christmas

Honestly, I do not like lechon (roasted pig). 

Maybe because during our childhood we were so attached to our pigs we almost always cry when they were murdered for a celebration. Celebrations, by the way, were very rare happenings in a family that raised pigs to be sold to butchers in the market. Just like eclipses. We do not even count birthdays as rare events. A wedding or death in the family is sadly, a feast day for us children.  

To this day I have never been a PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) or a humane society member and have not eaten pork for quite a time now but I always have a soft heart for animals being killed even for food. Give me fried chicken but do not show me how the chicken is being killed.

But being a member of a pork-eating family, I could not help but witness my family slaughter or devour whole pigs in a day. This year's Christmas and perhaps the coming New Year would be one of those days.

As if to torture me and to make matters worst, I was tasked to get the lechon ordered from Magnolia's Lechon in Manga District of Tagbilaran City. 

And I cringed at this sight.

Several lechonable pigs were waiting for their turn-

at the slaughter table where after slashing their throats, they were immersed in a boiling vat of water to get rid of hairs.

When clean, slaughtered pigs were given a combination of salt, spices and secret ingredients inside their stomach and sealed for the roasters.

The pigs were roasted in a very hot grilling station.

When done, they were left out to cool down-

to be wrapped for eager customers to take out,

and consumed for the holidays.

Christmas in my heart

Just like any other people of my age, I tend to look back and compare everything the younger generation is doing with that of my past experience. Many of you might say that past is past and it is now time to move on. Yes, it is true, indeed, but we can never move on if we won't learn from the lessons of the past. To be mean about it, from the old folks like me.

Christmas for example.

Way back when I was younger, Christmas celebrations started only in December and lasted on February 2nd. We did not hear Christmas songs until December. Nobody decorated his/her house on September or November but only on December. Christmas and December would always go together. 

Christmas almost always started at the first Misa de gallo, on the 16th of December every year, signifying the start of the holiday period. Carolers big and small, young and old would sing Christmas carols in the dialect, in our case, Bisaya. We heard the English versions much later. The Bisaya carols have a deeper impact on us because we could relate ourselves with what we were singing or heard from other people sing because of the use of our language. Only later we could hear carolers shouting jimgom bills, jimgom bills jimgol all da whey. We traversed rice fields and creeks just to sing our carols even to the remotest of places, earning a few cents we divided after our parents would command us to go home.

On Christmas, the only light we consider as Christmas lights were the big parol hanging from the windows of the houses. They glittered extra bright at night because power supply in our time consisted only of gas and paper in a bottle we called lamp.

On the eve of Christmas, we would be sent early to bed with the expectation that Santa Claus would visit our house and fill in the socks we hung in our Christmas trees decorated with fake snow made from soap. This was also done by parents so no children would ran amok during the Misa aguinaldo which was said at midnight on the 24th.

Suman, bibingka, sikwate, biko, kapeng mais and so many other native kakanin would complete the celebration of Christmas. Spaghetti was nowhere in the menu.

Whenever parties were done, they were almost always a community undertaking. Some group would take charge of the food, others the drinks, and some for the sound system and physical arrangement. Parties were always done in a public place and people would flock to the site to choose whom to take as fodder for gossip in the morning after. Really a family affair!

The true spirit of Christmas before was always with family, first and for all. Even the community celebration was done because the community itself was part of the family.

Everything done now to celebrate Christmas is always about money. You would always hear from people that their Christmas is sad and bleak because they have no money.

And that is the saddest Christmas excuse ever.

Kakanin pic grabbed from witsandnuts.com 

Lantern pic from iyaktawa.com 

Mananaygon pic from Craig in the Philippines 

Every life a melodrama

Weddings, I believe, makes a family.

From the day a family member announces his or her intentions to marry, the family is kept in constant motion and commotion. And the drama begins.

Oh, why so early?

We don’t have enough money for the wedding!

My, my, are you pregnant?

Why of all people that girl?

You are marrying a family of drunks, for God’s sake!

The couple’s arduous plans combined with the lethal family sentiments make marriages colorful sights to behold.

Also, getting married nowadays is like suicide. In a small town like ours, getting married is also feeding the whole town, whether you sent your invitations or not. Sometimes, it would be wise to get married before a judge and invite only some close relatives and friends. That was how my sister and my cousin did. I think they only lose a few thousands with their weddings.

Since church weddings are considered a tradition, the Filipinos, being traditional, expect a big celebration.

In the end, whether we like it or not, a couple in love will have their way, be it a necessity to marry or otherwise.

My first cousin got married a few days ago and it was time for us to form a circle of support despite the odds. The odds being the manner to make it happen. Of course it takes a lot of money to do such. I assume the couple has to borrow money and ask some relatives to contribute knowing their savings is not enough. Never enough.

Aside from the financial burden, marrying produces a lot of emotions that sometimes are traumatic. I am sure if given the choice, couples would back out before the real thing. Parents, siblings, relatives and friends would create unnecessary problems in the course of the planning.

There is the sister who got angry why her children were not part of the entourage. There is this relative who got insulted he was not given an invitation. The mother got angry and emotional out of nonsense. My cousin even has to negotiate with a crying cousin because someone from the girl’s side asked her to leave the table during the banquet. That is only on our side. Imagine the girl’s.

In weddings, there is always an aggrieved party despite how well-planned they are.

In all these dramas, the couple has to deal with the situation without any support from anyone because everyone is lost in our own passions.

I am sure no one wanted to be part of a couple’s problem. We only wanted our friendship and sense of proprietorship with them to last. A kind of selfish attitude we wanted to hold knowing soon the husband or wife now owns each other and soon we will be spectators in the side. Like abandoned parents.

So we create disturbances, drama, to be noticed.

But because blood is thicker than water, we overcome all these obstacles and celebrate the marriage in banquets, drinking the whole night through, all the problems left behind. Comforting hugs, glasses of wines, sane minds all have quieted the turbulence, leaving everyone exhausted and with a bad hangover a day after.

The drama will repeat in baptisms or when another wedding will come about in the course of a lifetime.

It is a cycle.

Cartoon grabbed from darrenbyrne.com

To All the Women of My Life

On Sunday, March 8, the world celebrates International Women's Day. 

In honor of the women of my life who have been so supportive to me, never asked me to change the way I should become and never left me despite of the way I am behaving, I am giving them a special day. And a special love no other woman should deserve to be loved. 

I love you guys and thank you for being with me all the time.

• My mother- despite a painful past we had, still she is never remiss with her love.
  
• My sisters- they all love me. Special mention to my younger sis, Cecil, who indulged me with free airfare tickets.
  
• My lolas- who maintained that I am their favorite. Sorry for not being able to express my love until you were buried.
  
• My aunties (Iya Virgie, Inday Gloria, Manang Deny)- who believed I am still the best.
  
• My nieces and nephews- you are the best. Thanks for the love.
• The Ortega sisters (Glocel, Glee, Glenda, Gilda, Teray and Itin)- they supported me all throughout and they never abandoned me but strengthened the beautiful friendship we had until now. Special mention to Boktot who have seen me through it all.
  
• My girlfriends- Judy, Amay and Charlotte- they inspire me to go on with life. They are my support system. They encouraged me to move on. They never left me. To Judy who has been there and shared my sad and happy moments- thanks tiya.
  
• My Mama Nelin and Dang Maring and Tata and her mom- they are such a lovely bunch of friends. They accepted me and cry with me during my saddest times, not to mention feeding me when I feel like not eating at all.
  
• Mam Ynday- my constant guidance counselor and enemy. We fight over petty things and still are the best of friends.
  
• Girlfriends and girl friends of past and present- Thank you for making my life so beautiful.
  
• You- you are still my best girl friend the world has given me.
  

(Illustration from nenaoh.com)

SHE'S ALWAYS A WOMAN TO ME

(Billy Joel)

She can kill with a smile
She can wound with her eyes
She can ruin your faith with her casual lies
And she only reveals what she wants you to see
She hides like a child,
But she's always a woman to me

She can lead you to love
She can take you or leave you
She can ask for the truth
But she'll never believe
And she'll take what you give her, as long as it's free
Yeah, she steals like a thief
But she's always a woman to me

Oh--she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh--and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

And she'll promise you more
Than the Garden of Eden
Then she'll carelessly cut you
And laugh while you're bleedin'
But she'll bring out the best
And the worst you can be
Blame it all on yourself
Cause she's always a woman to me
--Mhmm--

Oh--she takes care of herself
She can wait if she wants
She's ahead of her time
Oh--and she never gives out
And she never gives in
She just changes her mind

She is frequently kind
And she's suddenly cruel
She can do as she pleases
She's nobody's fool
And she can't be convicted
She's earned her degree
And the most she will do
Is throw shadows at you
But she's always a woman to me
--Mhmm--

My love affair with Sinulog

Most of you non-Cebuanos would excitedly flock to Cebu and see the Sinulog celebrations. Mine is a love-hate relationship with Sinulog. Here are the reasons why-

Why I hate Sinulog-

• People everywhere would cause massive traffic jams.
  
• The usual 15-minute ride would almost become an hour of intense struggle.
  
• During the Sinulog parade, all you could do is walk. Jeepneys are re-routed. Taxis won't bring you to your destination no matter how near because of very slow traffic.
  
• Noise pollution becomes intense! Beating of drums even in the evenings can be heard. Karaoke in the houses are on the rise.
  
• Our favorite hangouts suddenly become full and nowhere can we sit in.
  
• Bars, even those unknown, would cordone off their premises and impose an entrance fee even if they have nothing special going on. You pay the entrance fee and drink a beer. Shucks.
  
• I have to search for hotels and pension houses so that friends could be accommodated. But at this time, even the dirtiest pension house are doing well. So I have to scout even outside city limits. Tiring!
  
• Pickpockets, swindlers, snatchers would be in season.
  
• Muggers and trippers also abound. Just be careful.
  
• And I am quite sure only a few souls would go to the Basilica del Señor Santo Niño and at least light some candles there.
  

Why I love Sinulog-

• Friends connect. Even long time friends suddenly remembers you. Especially if they need a place to stay.
  
• Friends from abroad comes home. If you are good to them you can have a pasalubong.
  
• So many freebies from companies offering new products and discounts!
  
• Stores would offer sale and discounts.
  
• Sinulog is eyecandy. Aside from the colorful costumes of dancers, so many yummy people can be seen around as if some magic spell comes to Cebu.
  
• Some people come to Cebu to get laid. So be always ready, just in case. Remember to bring other safety gadgets.
  
• The celebrations would bring in lots of food and drinks. Some friends would invite you to eat at their house.
  
• Sinulog is a good reason to be drunk until the morning.
  
• You can visit the whole province if you take time to see the big displays on the Sinulog routes.
  
• Christmaasss is extended!
  

Picture grabbed from rengarcia.wordpress.com

Moveable Feast

This year in the homeland, government decreed June 9, not June 12, a holiday for Philippine Independence. In both the Middle East and New York, OFWs celebrated on the first week of June. In California, different festivities in San Diego and San Francisco were held June 8-9 and 13. In Bangkok, the United Filipinos in Thailand celebrated in our embassy on June 15. In New Jersey, they’re rocking indie day with Mig Ayesa on June 29. Do we now tweak Jose Rizal to “El sitio ni fecha, nada importa (neither place nor date matters)”?

Quoted from www.inquirer.net