wow... how's everybody doing?
i have just been very busy since the last time i've checked in.
there was the whole holy week fiasco and the summer outing (our first barkada beach outing, yay!) na finally natuloy na rin sa wakas... after 5 years of attempting.
here's a bullet list of what i did:
holy monday.
pabasa sa mga ninang ko (who lives just next door).
***FYI, for those who don't know what a "pabasa" is, here's a short description.
PABASA (pah-ba-sa) loosely translated in english is "public reading". there is a book called PASYON (passion) written in lyric poetry style. so older people (and some young ones who know the tune) read/sing the whole book. this usually takes the whole day, maximum 20 hours, non - stop. the hosts/hostesses are expected to provide food, coffee, cigarette and everything else that the people need. there are santos (catholic idols depicting saints and sometimes scenes from the bible) presented in the make-shift altar that the "mambabasa" (readers) read to.
i wasn't as involved in this pabasa as i used to because of the whole bickering thing i had with my ninang (godmother). but i did donate some of my time to it.
holy tuesday.
pahinga. siesta. day of relaxation.
holy wednesday.
i was supposed to help my friends lavinia and ermingard in preparing the santo (la penitente: si jesus at ang babaeng makasalanan, in english, jesus and the sinful woman).
***FYI. the "babaeng makasalanan" or the sinful woman (i think it's supposed to be the pious woman, but, anyway...) was not named in the bible. i first thought it was mary magdalene, it turns out i was wrong.
i woke up late that day so i just joined the procession that night and stayed up all night. first we went to bettina's house after more than a year because she just got home here in the philippines from the kingdom of saudi arabia where she works as a nurse. then we (me, ermingard, lavinia and ermingard's "friend") went back to the park, where all the idols were situated and were being prepared for the pabasang bayan the next day.
maundy thursday.
went to pabasang bayan at the public park and then to bettina's.
good friday.
6 AM we went hiking for our annual stations of the cross in mt. calvary here in our hometown. also dubbed as "to strengthen the friendship" MIA: ermingard and lota.
6 PM. procession. then went to helena's for a quick bite then to gertrude's to watch the rest of the procession including the "gewang-gewang".
then after a week of preparation, april 10 and 11, we went to matabungkay beach resort in batangas. only lota wasn't able to come. she had other appointments that apparently, she can't reschedule. no hard feelings.
we went swimming, drinking, boating, snorkeling and generally just having fun.
and here i am today.
pics about these things to be posted next.
hold tight.
(*,*)
