Today is New Year’s Eve and a very important holiday
in the Philippines. The first thing with
this special date is the
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| Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental - Fruit & Bread Vendors at the Market |
overabundance of food that is prepared for the festive
occasion. Throughout the community,
hastily constructed stands were selling an assortment of fruit, bread, peanut
butter, and pop. At the new market, a seemingly limitless supply of the above
noted items were also in overabundance. Furthermore,
the meat “stations” were filled
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| Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental - Meat section at the Market |
with freshly cut selections of pork, beef,
chicken, as well as fish. I have been informed
that the reason behind all of the food and circle fruit (oranges, apples,
watermelons (yes they are round here) is, by having a large variety on this day
then you will have plenty of food to sustain you throughout coming year.
Firework stands seem to appear out of nowhere in the
past couple of
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| Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental - Firework stands line the plaza |
days, selling the powder loaded pyrotechnics, to ward off the
evil spirits as midnight arrives and all kinds of noise makers (horns, bells,
and whistles) are also sold to the children for the same reason. It is the only time, I can think of where
everyone stays up until midnight to bring in the New Year as the racket is to
raucous that even a deaf
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| Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental - Commercial Speakers on side street, blaring the best in Rock n Roll |
person would find it difficult to sleep. Although the fireworks only last about
forty-five minutes, there is plenty to see with sky rockets and artillery
shells flying everywhere. By the end of
the activity, a heavy layer of spent propellant fills the air as the pungent
odor overwhelms the nostrils. But wait,
that is not the end of it. All the commercial
sound systems in town set up their gargantuan speakers and blare their music for
all to hear, all night long!
Normally, I would spend a thousand pesos or more for
fireworks, but due to my generosity with helping others this month, I had no funds
left with which to scare off those bothersome spirits and thus, Toy will take
out my trumpet and toot it triumphantly while his brother and two sisters take
pots and metal ladles to bang in our New Year.
As I went around town this morning to get my water
bottles refilled and also purchase a couple of cases of Pepsi, business was
brisk. They had traffic police at
several of the intersections directing traffic.
You almost had to find your slot to squeeze into if you wanted to drive
on the National Highway. The store
where we bought our Pepsi and (orange) Royal pop was inundated with New Year shoppers
buying pop and beer and Tanduay (Rum) to aid in their celebrations. Of course, each year there are several celebrators
who lose fingers or complete hands from handling fireworks while rather
inebriated. I hear of the horror stories
for days after the beginning of the New Year.
Whether they are true or not, only the local hospital knows for sure. At the bottled water supplier, we ended up
being the last customers of the day as they were closing at noon with the owner
returning home so he could sip on San Miguel Light (beer) to bring in the New
Year. We made extra food this morning and took one
of the baked chickens along with spaghetti to my children’s Uncle Julius and
family. On the return home, the videoke
machines were going wild and from the slurred voices we knew the inhabitants
were well on their way to celebrate this most important time of the year. Our abundant meal this evening will include,
roasted chicken, spaghetti, port chops, puncit, fruit salad, and (of course)
rice. After the feast, the kids will
dine on peanut butter on bread and chips to top off the evening….with plenty of
pop to keep everyone on a sugar high.
One of the special moments I love with my adopted
family is how words can be twisted to mean something entirely different. An
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| Family preparing for its noon feast |
example is, right after lunch today, eight
year old Mae Mae went to the kitchen for whatever reason and then suddenly
exclaimed, “Mama! Mama! Mama! The chicken is spoiling! The chicken is spoiling!” Of which her brother, Toy, quickly entered the
kitchen and started laughing, “Its boiling Mae Mae, not spoiling!” We have some pretty long discussions at our
dinner table and every once in a while, the wrong word or sentence will be
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| Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental - The fruit basket to bring in the New Year |
used
which will drive the table into uncontrollable laughter, of course at the speaker’s
expense. Such as at the table this
evening during dinner and we were discussing capital punishment when Clarisse
queried, “Did they have electric wheel chairs when you were young pa?” All heads turned toward her in a quizzical
way, when she realized her mistake. “I
meant to say electric chairs, pa!” Yep, a round of laughter ensued. Yet,
that is the part of being within this family.
We may chuckle, but we don’t intentionally make fun of another's
mistakes.
On Tuesday I had to make a quick trip to Bacolod on the
motorbike which went pretty well, except for one occurrence. I drove up behind a trike who had a large
amount of, I think tarp, folded in the back of the side car when all of a
sudden it started blowing out of its space and onto the highway in front of
me. I veered and missed it, but a biker
who was close behind did not miss the expanding fabric. Oh yes, while on the way home that same
afternoon a young adult on a motorbike was determined to pass me and finally
did at a dangerously unsafe speed. There
was a mini-bus in front of me and I always give them plenty of room as many do
not have working brake lights. It just
so happened this minibus decided to suddenly stop of which the passing biker
was not paying attention. In short, the
immature driver fortunately did not hit the stopped transport, however he
missed colliding with it by only inches.
As I slowly passed the stationary bus, I noticed the idiotic driver of
the other bike pulling over to the side of the road. I was not sure whether he did that in an effort
to calm his nerves or perhaps to change his shorts. Motorcycles are very unforgiving in the
Philippines especially when it comes to trucks, cars, and buses and rarely does
one survive from their first mistake in judgment.
I have recently become aware that everyone thinks that
I am a German. Even though I have no
European accent and when asked, tell everyone that I am from the United States,
it appears they can only see me as a German.
I know, it boggles the mind as my ancestry is Norwegian and
English. Still, this is the Philippines
and we foreigners are open to their
interpretation and not necessarily ours.
It is with the year coming to a close that I sit here
and reflect upon all that transpired over the past twelve months. I am very thankful to
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| b-r - Clarisse, Santiago, & Toy & Charissa Mae in front |
have been blessed with
good health and a continued semblance of physical dexterity. I have
also been blessed with four of the best kids in the entire World who constantly
watch over their papa and they have shown their love for me every single day of
this past year. I have had some of the
best conversations in my life with this adopted family of mine and I even learn
something new almost every day. I love
the
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| 12-25-2015 - Batang Peninsula, Himamaylan City, Negros Occidental - A memorable sunset to climax a wonderful day |
many breathtaking sunsets afforded me as well as the many people I have
come to meet while sitting in the several waiting shades. I have realized that I may not know many
people, but many seem to know me from my almost daily rests in those shades. My only regret is that there is such a dire
need for aid with those living in the slums and up in the mountains, yet I am
unable to make the differences needed to make their lives a little easier. It is a prayer I make each night before
retiring and I know when God thinks it is the right time, He will provide for
them. I pray that your New Year is a rewarding as
well as a prosperous one. That your
festive celebrations are enjoyable as well as safe should you be traveling
about. Finally, I want to thank each and
every one of you for taking the time to read my jottings. I have enjoyed doing them and will continue
to do so more often during the coming weeks and months.
Daryl A. Cleveland
a.k.a. Bounder
December 31, 2015
You have quite an exciting New Year's Eve in the PI.
ReplyDeleteHave a great new year Daryl...
ReplyDelete