We now approach the merry month of May, which also happens to be the month of fiestas in Bohol. Literally, every day of this month there is a fiesta celebrated somewhere in the province. If I am not mistaken, you can live on fiesta food for a month if you stay in Loon or Jagna. Just thinking of fiesta in May brought back very many memorable experiences of my childhood and teen years. You do remember that famous joke of Bohol sinking several feet in May because of the many visiting Bol-anons coming back to celebrate fiesta with their kith and kin. Well, it is that time of the year again.
Although I now call my ancestral town of Baclayon as home, I actually grew up in Tagbilaran City. We lived there for about ten years before moving back to Baclayon when most of us siblings went to Cebu for college studies. So, for ten years we celebrated Tagbilaran's fiesta day, which falls on the 1st of May in honour of Saint Joseph, the husband of Mother Mary and the foster father of Jesus Christ. Local historian Jes Tirol has an interesting story on why the city celebrated Saint Joseph's feast day on 1st of May instead of its original day, 19th of March.
If you are a first time fiesta goer or mamistahay in Bohol, perhaps it is wise to acquaint yourself on our fiesta etiquette. Otherwise, you may not be invited again for next year's fiesta celebration. And if I may add a piece of unsolicited advice - do not eat too much in the first house you visit; it may not be the only house you will go to during fiesta day. This is the hard lesson learnt by my fraternity brods when they first experience Tagbilaran fiesta. They ate to their hearts content in the first house they visited. In the second house, they have to beg off from the main course meals and instead indulge themselves on sweets and cakes. In the third house, with red faces they asked the host for the 'comfort room' facilities. After, they asked us for directions to the nearest pharmacy to buy the you-know-what tablets. Alas, they spent the rest of the day fasting! They did went back the following year, though, all wisened up.
On the other hand, you may also end up without eating on fiesta day. I remember the story of the stranger who went with his Bol-anon friend to celebrate the fiesta of the latter's home barangay. When the neighbours heard of his visit, they vied for the privilege of having him as their important guest. In short, he hopped from house to house without getting anything to eat. It continued until nightfall. Although very hungry, he was too exhausted to bother eating and opted to sleep instead. Poor fellow, napasmo hinuon! Of course, this story is meant as a joke but there is a hint of truth on it. Bol-anons likes to invite or warmly welcomes strangers into their house during fiesta. I believe it is still true to these days in some places.
Happy Fiesta Tagbilaran on May 1st! Happy Fiesta to my home barangay of Santa Cruz in Baclayon on May 3rd!
Showing posts with label Tagbilaran. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tagbilaran. Show all posts
30.4.08
12.1.08
School walk
Our first son Cean formally started school in September last year. I bring him to school everyday while his mum collects him in the afternoons. It is a rather short 5-10 minutes walk to his school from our house, and rather uneventful (at least from my viewpoint).
I still have quite vivid memories of some of my school walks. The earliest among them was during my kindergarten days in Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran. I must have been five or six years old when it happened. One day, I got carried away playing after class that I lost track of time. When I went out of the school building it was eerily quite and almost empty. There is no sign of my cousin who came to pick us up nor of my older brothers. I went searching for them for a while before I resolved to myself that I will walk home. I remembered the route very well so I was confident going home, which I did. Upon arriving safely at home, there were sighs and shouts of relief from my family. That was the only walk I did during my short stay in that school, though.
I spent my first three years of primary school in a public school in Baclayon, my father's hometown. It was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed, especially the school walks. I still cannot forget that surreal walks past the huge balite tree situated between my school and our house. That tree was said to be enchanted so it always feels a bit scary everytime we pass by it especially in the afternoons even though it is found beside the national highway. I now forgot the time of the year when this tree sheds its leaves. During this time, it was a surreal experience walking past the balite tree while yellow green leaves rained on me from above the high branches. It reminded me of those slow motion scenes in recent Chinese martial arts movies where multicoloured leaves are flying.
In high school, I went to Divine Word College in Tagbilaran (now Holy Name University). In my freshman year, the high school department moved to its present site in Dampas. It was then still quite rural with few houses and lots of open spaces covered mostly with grasses. I have not gone back there for more than a decade but I gathered it has now become crowded. There were some memorable walks after school that I still remember. In freshman year, I befriended Alan who introduced me to a walking route from the school to our homes. It involved walking in footpaths passed houses and grassy open spaces that rather made me think that I was walking in the bukid rather than in the city.
We would then come out of the open spaces into Calceta Street Extension (I think). Next, we then walk to the elementary school where Alan's late mother was teaching to say hello and to catch our breath. After a short rest, we take a shortcut to Alan's house. Goodbyes said, I then proceed to walk home passing by Governor Aumentado's house, BDRC, Garcia Park and then down to BAEx office and the DA nursery before I arrived at home.
In sophomore year, I explored other walking routes with some friends. I remember well a route that had become popular with students. It takes you on footpaths that pass by the back of houses and into Tamblot Street near Camp Dagohoy. One time (I think it ran for several days) neigbourhood bullies waited in ambush and demanded money from the students before they let them proceed to Tamblot Street.
I was not there when it happened but I imagine it must have been quite scary for some. After this incident, very few now take this route and instead now use the main roads. I used to take this route to Camp Dagohoy with my classmates Reg and Arthur. From the Camp, we would walk through streets I now forgot (in the absence of a map) until we ended up in the corner of Visarra Street and CPG Avenue. We would stay for awhile and talk under the street signpost until it gets almost dark. We then said our goodbyes with me getting a tricycle ride home while my two friends would proceed to Visarra ubos to their respective houses.
There were still other walks I did in junior and senior high school years that I can still remember. The aforementioned ones, however, brings back very good memories indeed. I do not know what Cean will think of his school walks but I hope there are good ones in it as well.
I still have quite vivid memories of some of my school walks. The earliest among them was during my kindergarten days in Holy Spirit School in Tagbilaran. I must have been five or six years old when it happened. One day, I got carried away playing after class that I lost track of time. When I went out of the school building it was eerily quite and almost empty. There is no sign of my cousin who came to pick us up nor of my older brothers. I went searching for them for a while before I resolved to myself that I will walk home. I remembered the route very well so I was confident going home, which I did. Upon arriving safely at home, there were sighs and shouts of relief from my family. That was the only walk I did during my short stay in that school, though.
I spent my first three years of primary school in a public school in Baclayon, my father's hometown. It was an experience I thoroughly enjoyed, especially the school walks. I still cannot forget that surreal walks past the huge balite tree situated between my school and our house. That tree was said to be enchanted so it always feels a bit scary everytime we pass by it especially in the afternoons even though it is found beside the national highway. I now forgot the time of the year when this tree sheds its leaves. During this time, it was a surreal experience walking past the balite tree while yellow green leaves rained on me from above the high branches. It reminded me of those slow motion scenes in recent Chinese martial arts movies where multicoloured leaves are flying.
In high school, I went to Divine Word College in Tagbilaran (now Holy Name University). In my freshman year, the high school department moved to its present site in Dampas. It was then still quite rural with few houses and lots of open spaces covered mostly with grasses. I have not gone back there for more than a decade but I gathered it has now become crowded. There were some memorable walks after school that I still remember. In freshman year, I befriended Alan who introduced me to a walking route from the school to our homes. It involved walking in footpaths passed houses and grassy open spaces that rather made me think that I was walking in the bukid rather than in the city.
We would then come out of the open spaces into Calceta Street Extension (I think). Next, we then walk to the elementary school where Alan's late mother was teaching to say hello and to catch our breath. After a short rest, we take a shortcut to Alan's house. Goodbyes said, I then proceed to walk home passing by Governor Aumentado's house, BDRC, Garcia Park and then down to BAEx office and the DA nursery before I arrived at home.
In sophomore year, I explored other walking routes with some friends. I remember well a route that had become popular with students. It takes you on footpaths that pass by the back of houses and into Tamblot Street near Camp Dagohoy. One time (I think it ran for several days) neigbourhood bullies waited in ambush and demanded money from the students before they let them proceed to Tamblot Street.
I was not there when it happened but I imagine it must have been quite scary for some. After this incident, very few now take this route and instead now use the main roads. I used to take this route to Camp Dagohoy with my classmates Reg and Arthur. From the Camp, we would walk through streets I now forgot (in the absence of a map) until we ended up in the corner of Visarra Street and CPG Avenue. We would stay for awhile and talk under the street signpost until it gets almost dark. We then said our goodbyes with me getting a tricycle ride home while my two friends would proceed to Visarra ubos to their respective houses.
There were still other walks I did in junior and senior high school years that I can still remember. The aforementioned ones, however, brings back very good memories indeed. I do not know what Cean will think of his school walks but I hope there are good ones in it as well.
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