Sumo's September 29 Post:
Ang Pista Sa Aming Nayon!
Here is Manong*
(*note: a Pilipino term for an older male person)
He is a member of the akyat-bahay* gang
(note: akyat-bahay which literally means to climb houses
actually refers to robbers who "climb houses")
Nope, that is not the robbers group.
Manong's group are those
that were hired to climb houses
to install buntings for the town fiesta.
Last week was the feast of San Lorenzo Ruiz.
Lui may be a Catholic but she does know the feast!
She goes to the other church that's why.
The Sto. Rosario church whose feast
will be celebrated in October.
I don't know why there are so many churches
in the subdivision where we are staying.
They are building another one nearer to our house.
There are so many schools too (22!)
and that is in our village alone!
There.
Manong finished installing the buntings.
It took his group the whole day just to hang it.
And the following day,
a huge bus passed to transport children
from the nearby school for their field trip
and pulled some of the buntings off the house!
By Sunday
the buntings were incomplete
like broken teeth!
And here comes the band . . .
sent by the Town Mayor
to bring joy to the occasion.
But it is too noisy!
The hounds in heaven went into hiding!
The children are the ones who enjoy these things.
Look at these children
who came from the nearby town
and followed the marching band.
They were really happy.
The children are really the ones
who enjoy the buntings, the band
and the meals prepared for the fiesta.
But Lui and I
we just watch.
We enjoy watching the children.
But not the buntings and the band
for these are not important for us.
And these are not the real essence
of the feast day for us.
