Christmas, New Year (2013) and Road-Tripping in Mindanao

By: Bob Boyer

 

My nephew Ted visited his Filipina girlfriend in Cagayan De Oro, Mindanao, the Philippines over this past Christmas and New Year holiday. I finally caught up with him by email correspondence about two months ago. With all that has been happening in the Philippines, I haven’t had the opportunity to share some of our exchanges, especially his colorful stories. I do so now, in the form of my email replies to my nephew.

Christmas and New Year (2013)

Ted, thank you for sharing these stories, especially because your experiences in the Philippines are quite different from the ones I’ve had over the years. Your girlfriend Clara says that you are the first person ever to ask her kids what they would like for Christmas, when you were preparing for your trip. She says that they have never seen Santa Claus. As you yourself note, “when the family is poor the kids get what the parents can afford, if they can afford anything.” You end by saying that “They seemed to really appreciate the gifts” that you brought them. You wonder if Clara’s kids are typical in not ever having seen Santa Claus. My guess is that that varies. I have never been in the Philippines during the Christmas holidays, but I have been there in October. In October in Manila, Santa Claus is already present in ads on television and in the papers. I don’t know if he shows up in the malls later. In terms of gift-giving, I do know that lots of Filipinos return to their homes for the holidays, bringing gifts. These include the OFWs (Overseas Filipino Workers) who crowd the airport carting boxes of all sizes (“balakbayan”) for the relatives. And that’s exactly what you were doing this year. I’m guessing, though, that there might be less of this activity where you were. I loved your description of the New Year Feast. I laughed at your understatement when you pointed out how different it is celebrating the New Year outside, unlike Wisconsin where we might open a door briefly and blow a horn out into the frigid air. You say that you were “not prepared for the magnitude of the celebration,” and then you describe the preparations. All of December 31 folks were cooking “a whole pig . . . over an open fire.” That is a classic Filipino big celebration. You’re cooking your specialty of pizza and then brownies for dessert was great and I’m sure much appreciated, even though you were “exhausted and still cooking by the time the festivities started.” I can see the festivities as you describe them: the Videoke and loud speakers “blaring,” “candy thrown to the kids,” “people out in the streets dancing, lighting fireworks, blowing horns, drinking alcohol, and generally having a good time.” I again had to laugh when you observed that the fireworks were not carefully controlled and were “spewing sparks and smoke” everywhere.” It is also not surprising that the celebration lasted “well past” when you fell asleep.

Road Tripping in Mindanao

Your description of your trip with Clara and her children to visit her family and friend on their farms helps give me an idea of the geography of Mindanao. Clearly there are lots of mountains inland as you get away from the coast. Not surprisingly going through the mountains is not easy, or, to put it your way, “travelling through the central part of the island means travelling down small winding mountain roads.” On the other hand, roads are easier along the coast, but, of course, longer because you are going around the “outer part of the island” and around the mountains. Your description of traffic congestion and the poor condition of the roads is all too familiar. I’ve seen much the same from Manila to Puerta Princesa (Palawan) to Tagbilaran (Bohol). Your list of vehicles is a good one: “the human-powered tricycles,” “motorizeds and motorolas” (“motorcycle-based vehicles created to transport around 6 or 7 people”), and “multicabs.” These shared often narrow roads with the familiar jeepneys and buses that lead the vehicular “dance” or “choreographed ballet” as you refer to it. I must confess that you detected more patterns to the traffic than I generally have. I do have to add, however, that Manila proper is actually improving both the road condition and the traffic patterns. You nicely portray the rewards of the time-consuming and often uncomfortable rides, as you describe some of the “amazing views” available, when not bouncing around too much to take note of them. You describe “luscious green mountain sides with occasional clouds below” and “views of the ocean mixed with the . . . greenery of a tropical climate.” And you drove through a Dole pineapple plantation, where you were stopped and checked to make sure you had not corralled any pineapples. I hope they offered you a chance to sample the produce. Thanks, Ted, for sharing. I look forward to hearing more about the trip. Contact (Uncle) Bob Boyer at Robert.boyer@snc.edu or <www.sundaysinmanila.com>. **** PHILIPPINES Column (Cont) Continue on left column… beige bra straps under a tank top shouldn’t add to them. With Strappys Decorative Bra Straps, there’s finally a simple and stylish solution that women can be proud to show off with any outfit. Strappys is dedicated to offering flattering, elegant, and fashionable bra strap solutions that make women look and feel sexy without sacrificing comfort.

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