It's fiesta time!

Today is Cabatuan's town fiesta.

We went to Cabatuan to have dinner. The whole day my kids had an affair in school, so the only convenient time for us to go to my mother's house in Cabatuan was at dinnertime.

When we arrived, it was already dark. Bermejo St, where my mother's house is located, was filled with parked vehicles. I had a hard time looking for a parking space.

We had a nice dinner. My nieces had prepared the food well. But as usual, I didn't feel like eating amidst so much food. So I just had a nice talk with older Bro who arrived from Manila this morning just to attend the fiesta, his first after so many years. He works as a ship captain abroad.



We decided to go to my aunt's house nearby for more food. And we noticed that the whole of Bermejo St. was filled with high school students in their CAT uniform. I learned that they were there for the torch parade. They were there to accompany the reigning Miss Cabatuan, who happened to live in the same street, and her court from the queen's residence to the town plaza for the coronation ceremony. I didn't know that the town fiesta was so elaborate indeed. This was the first time I witnessed such an event.



At the head of the royal march were small children who acted as small princesses and princes. Then the two court princesses and their escorts. The Cabatuan queen and her escort in full royal regalia then followed. After them were the queen's family and friends.



Bermejo residents were all beside the street to witness the march, and particularly to have a glimpse of the queen and her escort. For a moment, the street was transformed into a monarchic enclave where monarchs were resplendent in their gowns and fineries while the ordinary mortals gawked in their t-shirts, maong and tsinelas.

The queen and her escort were regal, fit for the throne, and looked familiar. Ah, no, not familiar. Ordinary mortals and subjects are not supposed to be familiar with their monarchs. It is treason.

At the back of the royal entourage was the town's band, which provided the fiesta noise.

And the last but not the least, after the band was my car carrying my family. By coincidence, the royal march started as we were about to go back to the city. The band which preceded us seemed to herald my coming and not the departure of the queen. Remnants of the torch-bearing students were still on both sides of my car as I drove. Ahhh... what a feeling. People thought, we were some sort of VIP's tailing the royal procession. And as the marchers turned right towards the direction of the town's covered gym, we headed straight to the city, where our own kingdom is located. And where this veritable insomniac lives. Thanks for insomnia. The royal march was at 7:30pm in the remote neverheard kingdom of Cabatuan. In less than two hours, because of insomnia, that royal march is broadcast in pictures for all in the techie world to see.@