My view from the top of the world...

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

From my Grade 2 textbook

Yari kita karon / mga malipayon / pakadto sa uma / mapahalab kita. / Si Lati pahalbon. / Si Tinday man dayon. / Sila ang tatapon / kay mabinuligon.

These lines were from my Grade 2 textbook. I still memorize these up to today. And many more passages and books from my childhood days.

Many times, out of the blue, the lines would just pop up in my mind. And scenes of those happy days cloud my memory. And I smile. I am a child again.@

Monday, December 1, 2008

DIRTY ICE CREAM

This one you will surely miss when you are abroad - the dirty ice cream.

When you hear the familiar sound of the bell, it's the dirty ice cream man! And children just can't resist the temptation to buy some.

I don't know why it is called dirty ice cream. For sure it is not because of the quality of the ice cream because from the time I was a kid up to now, I can't remember any instance when I had a problem with my stomach after eating it. Of late, I have read children and adults being hospitalized, and a few even died, because of other foods. But not the dirty ice cream.

Possibly dirty because the vendor just handles the cones directly with his bare hand. The cones are not wrapped with tissue. And, horrors, what he has handled minutes ago. But, then, sometimes we need some bad bacteria to enter our system, right? Our immune system needs to practice fighting so that we will be stong and healthy.

But, anyway, the ice cream is just so delicious. And only 5 pesos a scoop. If indeed, you'll experience stomach trouble later, what the heck. At least you have satisfied your craving.

Ti may dirty ice cream man sa abroad? Waay gid haay. @

Sunday, November 9, 2008

The classmate called Ish

Luis was a four-year-old boy in our neighborhood. He was cute and bubbly. My daughters, and his other playmates, fondly called him Ish.

But this post is not about him but about my farmhand Ramil and his classmate I called Luis.

Ramil came to me when he was sixteen years old and a second year high school student. He was reserved, dependable, and very industrious. His family lived in the mountains of Janiuay, Iloilo. I told his father that I would send Ramil to school in exchange for his help in the farm. He was a good helper. But as a student? Daw indi gid pang-Ten Outstanding Students of Iloilo (an award by the Outstanding Students Circle of Iloilo and DepEd - Bohringer).

One day I brought him a dictionary because Ramil had a school assignment. He started doing his assignment at 7:00pm after supper. At 9:00pm when we were about to sleep, he was still not finished. So I asked his older brother to help him. Then his brother started laughing. He laughed so loud that the neighbors woke up and switched on their lights. They thought a drunk strayed to our compound.

Ramil's assignment was to look for the meaning of the word ‘wife’ (wahyf). Ramil couldn't find the meaning even after 2 hours because he was looking for ‘wife’ under the letter 'Y' (wahy). So his brother laughed uncontrollably. I stifled my laugh so as not to embarrass Ramil. But while alone on my bed, I was laughing and laughing. In the morning I had bloated eyebags as I hardly slept the night before because even in my dreams I was laughing.

Ramil used brand names as generic representations. I asked him to buy Colgate and he replied 'Ano nga colgate? Close Up?'. Powder laundry soap was called Tide. When asked to buy softdrinks, he would asked 'Ano cooks? Ano nga cooks? Peepsi ukon sebeem ap? Ti pira ka kish?' Sometimes I corrected him, 'Ramil, ang tawag case, indi kish.' Astig gid.

When Ramil had activities in school, he brought to the farm some of his classmates who lived in far barangays. They slept in the farm because they would have a hard time going home. I welcomed the arrangement to help the students. Later, they were frequent fixtures in the farm and I already knew most of them. One of them was called Ish by Ramil.

One day, Ish was not with the group that accompanied Ramil. So I asked Ramil about Ish. ‘Where’s Luis?’. He asked back, ‘Sin-o si Luis?’. Then I told him that I meant Ish, and that I thought his name was Luis. He understood. He said Ish or Luis was sick that day. From that time on, I referred to Ish as Luis. And everybody, including Ish, understood.

After three years, Ramil graduated from high school. On graduation day, Ramil’s father and siblings came to the farm and prepared some food. Ramil’s classmates came for lunch. I asked them about their college plans. They answered with trepidation. I understood, as many of their parents were really hard up. Nevertheless, they were all very happy. As I was about to leave, Ish approached me. He asked me why I liked to call him Luis. I told him I thought his name was Luis. Then I told him the story of Luis, the cute boy who was the playmate of my kids. ‘Everybody called him Ish’ I added. Ish nodded. ‘But isn’t your name Luis because Ramil and others call you Ish?’, I asked.

He shook his head. According to him his name was not Luis. In front of everybody, he said that his real name was Ace.@

Monday, October 13, 2008

Ang Dapog

Kamo nga mga taga-abroad, kadumdom pa kamo kang tawag nga dapog?

Amo diya ang dapog sa akon uma. Ti, na-gets ninyo? For those who have totally lost their memories of the places they came from, let me explain.

Dapog is the Kinaray-a term for stove; or the place where cooking is done. It is like a table topped with soil, and on top stands a sig-ang, sometimes clay but usually welded iron. On the sig-ang is placed the caldero, kettle, or pans. Under the sig-ang is placed firewood or charcoal lit with fire.

With the current use of liquified petroleum gas (LPG) or electricity, dapogs are no longer vital parts of the Filipino home. Besides dapog is messy with soot, smoke stains, cinders and ashes.

But my late Owaw would never eat rice cooked with the use of LPG. She would request that her rice be cooked on the dapog using firewood or charcoal. She said the taste was different. It was better with the use of firewood and on the dapog.

I tried hard to determine the taste difference in rice cooked with the use of firewood and the one with the use of LPG. After years of knowingly and unknowingly doing the test, I still cannot discern the difference.

But, anyway I just want you to relive the days we still had dapogs in our homes. Of course, dapogs still exist in houses in the Philippines.

Ti diyan sa abroad, may dapog man kamo? Waay gid haay!@