For this our 8th Issue of The Kablogs Journal this November 2010, we remember 'death' and we honor our 'heroes' .

In the Philippines, all feet lead to the cemetery come November 1 . It's a somber yet festive remembrance of our dearly departed as all cemeteries are lit with candles and the niches freshly painted and adorned with beautiful flowers.

We also remember during November the birth of Andres Bonifacio, the hero that best represents us OFWs.

See sidebar for list of articles this month.

I adore thee

It might be a cliche to say that my parents are my heroes. But they are. Despite having a long distance relationship for the longest time, they managed to stay together and I cannot stress enough the importance of my parents being together in my life. I have a complete family. But today, I am dedicating this column to two persons who were my heroes too, in more ways than I can ever tell you.

I grew up with my grandparents, the parents of my mother, in the humble province of La Union. My tatay and nanay, as I call them, were the ones who raised me. I was with them since I was 5 until I graduated high school. They are the people I adore the most.

My grandfather was a farmer during his younger years but I did not see him as a farmer. To me, he was the best cook. He cooked mean igado and dinuguan, dishes that make my mouth water up to now. I still savor the distinct taste of his viands, including the taste of the cup noodles he prepared for me in the morning before I go to school. When I was still too young to walk the empty streets of our barangay during dawn alone, he accompanied me despite the cold, despite him getting attacked with rayuma. He was a drinker and a smoker but he told us not to drink and smoke. Thus, I did not develop the said vices. I haven't gotten drunk in my entire 26 years of existence. I haven't even smoked a stick of cigarette. And I'm proud of this fact. My tatay gave up smoking when an aunt who lived with us became pregnant. He gave up more than 50 years of smoking packs of cigarettes one day and never looked back.

My grandmother, on the other hand, was a teacher. Every one in our place knows her. If she can run for barangay captain now, she'll win. That I'm sure of. She is a gracious, doting nanay who attended to my needs. She taught me all the things I need to know but the one thing that I treasured learning from her is the art of patience. In grade 4, I had a project in school - small baskets weaved from rolls of newspaper. I hated that project and I cursed the day I gave up on doing it. The night before the day of submission of the baskets, I managed to do four lousy baskets out of the 10 that was required. I went to bed saying "bahala na" in my head over and over until I fell asleep. And then I woke up in the middle of the night to a glow of candles in the corner of our room. My nanay was rolling the newspaper and weaving the baskets carefully and methodically as if she still has all the time in the world to do just that. And her baskets were beautiful and sturdy. She finished my project for me, or taught me how to do it properly. I couldn't muster the kakapalan ng mukha to pass her work as my own the next day. I asked for another day and did the baskets with great patience. They were not perfect but I like them just the way I did them.

They're the conservative kind of grandparents, people who dwell on the values of the past. They didn't raise me to be a Maria Clara but close enough (lol). And to me, that's not bad. In this changing world, where teenagers are too modern and too warped up in their sense of distorted reality, I am thankful of the way my gradparents raised me. Their values are old but they're the values this current world needs. My grandparents always act with dignity and respect. They're always conscious of their actions. They are kind yet guarded. They're private but loved by many. They are conservative yet understanding. They are old but they do not mind.

When I left for Manila and then to Saudi Arabia, they could have easily told me to stay with them because they're old and sickly and it's just the two of them living together in our house in the province. They could have appealed and made me feel guilty for sort of abandoning them by leaving but they did not do that. They told me to go and reach for my dreams, to do everything I can to be the woman I want to be. They understood that now that I'm old enough, I have a life of my own and carving a place of my own in this world, even if it means being away from them, is what matters most. The thing though is, wherever I may go, my place will always be with them. They did not just raise me. They raised me to be a good person.

It's a special moment for me when some people say that they want their kids to grow up like me. I just smile and beam because I know that my grandparents will be proud to hear that. They raised me well enough for others to see that I'm the kind of person they want their children to grow up to be. I'm not saying I'm perfect but I'm proud to say that I'm living this life with the good values my grandparents have instilled in me. You can't get that kind inspiration and teachings nowadays. Their acts of sacrifice and selflessness have made me a good person and that is why, they will always be in my heart. No wait, make that, in every pore and essence of my being.

See, I don't need heroes. I already have them.

► Read Janelle's previous articles here.

Tradisyong a-uno ng Nobyembre

Araw ng mga Patay, Do Los Lo Santos, All Saints Day, Kapistahan ng mga Patay at Undas.

Iyan ay ilan sa mga tawag natin tuwing papatak ang a-UNO ng Nobyembre. Sa ating mga Pilipino, tradisyon na ang dumagsa sa mga sementaryo para ipadasal, ipagtirik ng kandila at alayan ng bulaklak ang mga kaanak na yumao. Kaya namang usapang “PATAY” ang pag-uusapan natin ngayon.

URI NG MGA NITSO:

1. Apartment – ito yung mga nitsong magkakapatong
2. Condo – ito ang ma nitsong magkakapatong din subalit nakamarmol naman.
3. Bungalow – Ito naman ang nitsong mag-isa lang
4. Duplex- Nitsong magkatabi (kalimitang mag-asawa ang nandito)
5. Mansion – Nitsong may museleo pa
6. Six Feet Under- nitsong nasa ilalim ng lupa na nilalagyan ng Bermuda grass sa ibabaw at sosyal na lapida
7. Anim na Paa sa Ilalim (tinagalog lang) – nitsong binaon lang sa lupa na may krus na kahoy at pinapalibutan ng bato para matandaan naman (kalimitang binabaon lang sa likod bahay dahil mahal na ang lupa sa sementeryo)

KLASE NG KABAONG

1. Lower Economy Class– kabaong na gawa lang sa plywood o lawanit (kung wala talaga banig na lang)
2. Economy Class – kabaong na gawa sa plywood pero may pintura at design na
3. Business Class - kabaong na may design na maganda, may kutson (para di raw sumakit ang likod ng patay), at may manikang ANGEL sa ibabaw na gumagalaw galaw pa.
4. First Class – Kabaong na gawa sa narra, yakal o apitong na may salamin na nakahulma. Kalimitan ding cupcake ang handa sa lamayan at hindi biskwit. Wala ding makikitang saklaan at madjong dito.

*Kung minsan may “PROMO” ang mga punernarya, ito ay ang “BUY ONE TAKE ONE PROMO”. Pag bumili ka ng kabaong, may “free” pang isa. Kaya magmadali at i-avail ang promo dahil “Limited Stocks Only”.

KARANIWANG TAGPO SA SEMENTERYO TUWING A-UNO NG NOBYEMBRE

1. Reunion

Mistula itong Family Reunion, high school reunion, elementary reunon, at kung ano ano pang reunion. Kaya makikita mong grupo grupo ang mga kabataan, samantala ang mga matatanda naman ay kanya kanya ng kwentuhan at bidahan. Dito rin nagtatapo ang dating magkasintahan, pati na rin ang dating magka-away.At dahil reunion asahan mo rin na ang iba ay nagpapayabangan sa laki at bango ng bitbit na kandila, at pagarbuhan sa ganda ng bulaklak.

2. Picnic / Park/Piyesta

At dahil na rin kailangan bantayan ang mga nitso ( baka umalis daw eh), naging picnic area o park na rin ito. Sa dami ng pagkaing bitbit, at may kasama pang makukutkot tulad ng butong pakwan at kornik, talagang namang nagmumukha “park” na rin ito ng mga Pilipino. At dahil sandamakmak na pagkain ang kanilang dala, para ka na rin namimiyesta (kulang na lang ay perya) . Asahan ding isang malaking “trash can” ang sementeryo pagkatapos nito.

3. Party / Casino

Karaniwang mapapansin nagmumukha Party o Club na rin ang sementeryo sa lakas ng mga stereo, component, at videoke. Sabog ang mga tenga sa lakas ng patutog at kung minsan naman ay todo ang biritan ng ilan sa videoke (sige, subukan kaya nilang kantahin ang “MY WAY). Habang ang iba naman ay naglalaro ng pusoy dos, tong-its, madjong at kung ano ano pang laro sa baraha, Kulang nalang ay casino chips at mga babaeng nakapanty lang. Kaya pag may nagkapikunan sa sugal at nagkakaaway sa score sa videoke, asahan mo may isusunod na sa bakanteng nitso doon.

4. Mga batang nangangandila

Sila naman yung tirador ng upos ng kandila, karaniwang nagngangapit-nitso sila para lang makarami ng kandilang ibebenta. Kalimitang binibilot nila ito hanggang sa magmukhang bola ng kandila, mapapansin din na kahit hindi pa tunaw ang kandila, kinukuha na rin nila. Kung minsan naman “trip” lang nilang manguha ng tulo ng kandila………. USO eh.

5. Tyanggi-an / Tindahan

At dahil maraming tao, asahan mo marami din nagbebenta ng kung ano ano sa sementeryo. One-stop shop kumbaga, may lugawan, fishball-an, mamihan, nagbebenta ng mani, nagbebenta ng chitchirya, kandila, bulaklak, may nagbebenta ng ukay-ukay, laruan, sisiw kulay pink, violet ar rainbow, laruang manok na tumutuka pag pinapaikot ang itlog nito, at kung ano ano pang pwedeng ibenta. Nagmumukha na ring palengke ang sementeryo sa dami ng nagtitinda. At minsan mas marami pa ata ang mga “stalls” na nagtitinda kaysa sa dami ng nitso doon.

Ang mga nabanggit sa itaas ay kalimitang napapansin natin sa mga sementeryo tuwing a-uno ng Nobyembre. Sari-saring trip, gimik, pakulo, tradisyon at kung ano-ano pa. Subalit tandaan natin na mas mahalaga ang panalangin kaysa sa ano pa man. Wala yan sa bango, laki, mahal ng kandila mo at hindi rin yan nakukuha sa ganda at dami ng bulaklak na iaalay mo sa mga namayapang kamag-anak. Ito’y nasa mataimtim na panalangin para sa kanilang kaluluwa. Sana’y mas paglaanan natin ng panahon ang pananalangin higit pa sa mga bagay na ito.

Iyon lang po at maraming salamat.

► Read Drake's previous articles here.

Enshrined

There were quite a few reasons to celebrate in the Pacific Region lately... There’s a very important occasion for Mr. Beancounter’s family; their close friends had actually travelled for more than 12 hours just to join them in their celebration in Brisbane, Queensland. While Watson, our KaBlog in New Zealand is also looking forward to celebrate his birthday with his high school friends in Baguio City this year—which, he believes, marks the ‘beginning’ of his life.

***

October 17, 2010 was a very remarkable day in the Australian Catholic community. Around 8,000 Australian pilgrims gathered around St. Peter’s Square in Rome, and the whole continent froze for a while to witness the canonisation of Australia’s first saint—Sr. Mary Helen MacKillop, now known as St. Mary of the Cross. The Roman Catholic Church across the country has been celebrating since then for this milestone achievement.

Mary Helen’s selflessness and wholehearted commitment to educate the poor, especially those in the countryside, during the second half of 19th century was undoubtedly worthy of recognition from the Vatican. A century later, the church believed that through MacKillop’s intercession, a lady who’s apparently dying from leukaemia and another lady with inoperable lung and brain cancer were cured. Hence, another saint has been added to the long list of saints honoured during the Feast of All Saints every first day of November.

***

All Souls Day follows... and in the UK and the US, as well as in the 'Americanised' countries, Halloween celebration is the most awaited event this November. In Australia, various reactions have been observed lately as the elder Australian populace stood up against the Halloween-themed TV shows, trick-or-treat-related product endorsements, Halloween costumes and decorations in the shopping centres. Halloween had never found its way to the Australian calendar until recently when the younger Australians—influenced by the American TV shows, started celebrating the event.

***

Masks are very popular during Halloween... but every day, all throughout the year, a person is actually wearing a thousand 'masks'. And just before the Halloween celebration this year, our Palau-based KaBlog—CM of The Dungeon has found the courage to unmask a Global Filipino.

Because of their unparalleled commitment in delivering a better life to their family and at the same time sustaining the Philippine economy, Overseas Filipino Workers are avowed as heroes of the modern day... but there’s a story about an OFW who has obviously gone astray (you can read the article here). I believe that this is one of the few isolated cases though, and I wish it is fictitious. If it’s true, then the story is a good reminder for every OFW—a challenge to live up to the expectation of being hero.

Heroism, like sainthood, is not a child’s play. It is not strictly limited to just writing a patriotic novel, revolting against colonialism or martial rule; it speaks about one’s character to behave according to the current need of humanity. The battlefield of the modern day calls for virtuous men and women who have the courage to conquer economic instability and to make a valiant stand against the country’s chronic political dishonesty.

Heroes are neither born overnight nor created in a day; they don’t wear costumes nor possess superpowers. They are human beings who stand out from ordinary men simply because of their willingness to sacrifice, and to show physical, emotional and moral bravery amidst all adversities for the benefit of others. Unlike saints, heroes don't perform miracles but they produce notable achievements. Filipino heroes of today's generation don’t have their monuments in the park; they are still alive, and their deeds are forever fixed in our minds and engraved within our hearts.

► Read RJ's previous articles here.

Heroes of my life

This is an excerpt from the book I am drafting; of my journey to life.

Along that journey are people -- individuals -- who have touched my life one way or another; is (or was) responsible for the man I am now.

Needless to say, I admired them so much; hold them in high regard and respect. They are the heroes and heroines of my life.

I do not have a place to build them their monuments nor a ground to mark their honor, nor a trophy to bestow on them. I hope they know, through this KUDOS, that in my heart and all throughout my life, I carry a tremendous, a very deep feeling of gratitude for them all.

To all of you, THANK YOU SO MUCH, FOR MAKING MY LIFE SO MUCH BETTER BECAUSE YOU ARE THERE. I hope your influence and your light of goodness will continually shine and magnify its radiance to make this world a better and brighter place. Please accept this compliment as a token of my gratitude for making a difference in my world. You played a very important role in shaping my future, and therefore, EACH OF YOU IS A SIGNIFICANT PIECE in my life's quilt.

(In no particular order).

Beatriz 'Betty' P. Dela Cruz Solis - My MOM. Her challenges and hardship, her sacrifices and perseverance in working to sustain us, her kids, to give us a better future is a story of heroism. I was a witness of the terrible pain she had to go through during the final days of her life. She died so young at the age of 39, in the line of duty, fulfilling a role so divine - Motherhood. I can only hope I reflect the kind of life she wanted me to live - simple, kind and yet strong and resolute in my desire to make a difference in this world. In a piece of land where she was laid, was an invisible mark that says: THE GREATEST MOTHER IN THE WHOLE WORLD. Wherever you are now, I know, one day, we will see each other again.

Craig Whiting – An American friend. During those times when I was so down and could not even support myself, he was there to lift me up. He willingly offered help, encouragement and selflessly lend a hand until I was able to finally stand on my own. He is an angel from God who supported me and my siblings. His family founded Believe International sending hundreds of poor Filipino kids to school (and now, PEBA is sponsoring scholars from this organization by adopting kids and sending them to school).

Ethel Cecille M. Baltazar - In my journal, I simply described her as 'Wonder Woman' because she constantly amazed me of her great enthusiasm in making things happen at its best. She has a great sense of service to others; always willing to contribute to the growth of good causes. She is there when no one is around to listen to and advice me; when I am disheartened and about to give up. She is there to encourage me to carry on, reminding me to trust God above all things. I feel overwhelmed and humbled to have someone of her caliber who believes in my abilities and capacities. For me, she is a GREAT mother, a GREAT sister, and a best friend, rolled into one.

Gordon B. Hinckley -The most influential person in my life next to my Mom. Ironically, I've never seen or talked to him personally, and probably, he knew me only by name when he signed my mission call. But his influence is so strong and so great that his words, his counsels, his teachings became my guiding light through all these years. I have a complete compilation of his conference talks, four of his recent books, and other excerpts from his teachings. I believe in him, and I got the strong desire to be better, to be a little kinder, and to serve others without expecting anything in return.

May to remember - The girl I first fell in love with, who captivated my heart, occupied my thoughts, haunted my dreams and desires for six long years. I made poems, love letters and journal entries for her which I later compiled under the title 'May to Remember'. Her story was already a closed book, for she is now married and has kids; and so do I. But the memory of that love for her will continue to linger on and the wonders she did to my life that moved, inspired and helped me are enough to make her one of the heroines of my life.

Nothing - My four years of stay in Manila, all of my pursuit for a better life, all my striving for excellence, all my desires to be more faithful, all my dreams and ambitions were inspired by her. Ironically, so strong was her influence that she took captive of my life that long years, without her knowing it. Eventually it ended up in a love suicide that led to the reinventing of myself. Thus, born a KENJI and the meaning associated with every letter of that name.

Jesus and Constancia L. Daniel - I lived with them during my entire college life when I had nowhere to go while venturing in Iligan to pursue my college education. They were instrumental in molding me during my formative teenage years. They taught me by precept and example the virtues of humility and hardwork - even the dignity of working with my hands. They filled the role my parents were not able to fulfill. Today, they are one of the most respected couples not only in the community they live in but in the church as well, with 'lolo' serving for nearly a decade now as patriarch.

Marlon and Armi D. Deiparine - I was so blessed to be 'adopted' as a son of a kind and responsible man, and his loving wife, Armi while I was in Iligan for my college education. For the rest of my college life, they supported me: financially, emotionally, socially and spiritually. They have the most profound influence in my faith and my resolve to live a better and happy life. Both of them played the role as mom and dad, guided me, advised me, and showed me an example during my crucial teenage life. They stand with me as my parents during my university graduation. They are one of the greatest living heroes of my life, and my posterity as well as those of my siblings will forever remember them.

Mrs. Thoughtskoto - Oh how much I had been caring and loving her. And the many sacred and secret prayers I keep in my heart that only I and the God of Heavens know. It is too hallow for the world to know how much I love her, and how deep is my respect for her. It is enough to know that in her presence, I feel the desire to achieve. In her presence, I always wanted to be my very best. There is only one thing I greatly wish for: to spend my life until eternity with her and my family, and for me to continually yearn for a chance to do everything good for her happiness and joy in accordance with God's Holy Will. The greatest moment of my life is when we knelt at the sacred altar of the temple and promised in the eyes of man and in the eyes of God to love each other, for all time, and all eternity. She is the greatest heroine of my life.

I have so many more heroes that is not listed here, some of them might be reading this piece now, some of them my associates in the organization I worked for. Some of them are friends for a lifetime, and even beyond. And some of them, simple people and strangers who inspire me to do good, be good, and be the best in everything that I do. Someday, when my book is complete, I will fill the pages with those names for the world to know that I am who I am because of them.

► Read Kenjie's previous articles here.

Bon fires without vanities

Boni Station is not just that station between Shaw Boulevard and Guadalupe. Boni Station is also that blog that won in PEBA 2009 Top 10 Blogs, penned by Bon Talampas Jr of Saudi Arabia. Bon is our featured blogger for this 8th Issue of The Kablogs Journal.



Bon is a Computer Engineer working as a support technical personnel for a leading health care company in the Middle East. He is based in Saudi Arabia. In the 'About Me' section of Bon's blog, he listed in unalphebetical order around 57 adjectives about him. I asked him to choose the best five. He says:

"Tough question but I have to say that Bon is happy, invincible, positive, simple, and reliable. I’m HAPPY with my family, with my friends around, and with everything I have now. I live each day with a SIMPLE and worry-free life which makes me INVINCIBLE. I always think POSITIVE otherwise I’ll be nothing. And am sure you find me RELIABLE that’s why you ask me this question."

Some trivia from and about Bon:
"When I was 8, I almost broke my left arm, the first time I was brought to a manghihilot."
He is afraid of eclipses and he has countless birthmarks in his body (totalling 97!).
He's a man of few words and he's also straightforward.
"Ask me anything", he said, and he'll give you the answer right away.

He is evidently an expressive writer. In his PEBA 2009 entry, he wrote a piece about his father Bon Sr (whom he also calls 'my friend') entitled 'In Memoriam'. His dad used to work in Saudi Arabia for 12 years. Thus, Saudi Arabia is already a familiar place for him -- its smell and the sadness that it envelops the every Filipinos that work there. He already recognizes its subtle nuances from his dad's version of Saudi. But only after he'd become a Saudi OFW did he understand his dad's sacrifices. "Hindi ko dati maintindihan ‘nun bakit pwede nama'ng hindi mag-abroad; pwede nama'ng sa pilipinas lang (ang tatay ko)."

"I’m really proud of my father. In everything I do for our family, I’m sure that I am making him happy and proud, too. Professing to the whole world of what he’s done for us is not as heartfelt as taking on the responsibilities of being a good provider and a friend to the rest of our family. I love you dad!"



The truth is: Bon never imagined working in Saudi like his dad did. As in life repeating in circles, he now works "almost in the same place" where his dad used to work. And Bon accepts it without a single remorse. Weariness, yes; but never a remorse. "Oftentimes I work at night shift which starts at 7pm and ends up at 7am, then I go to bed at 9am. My life here is totally different; I’m used to not seeing the sun most often. To make my life easy, I have to accept that this is just a part of my being an OFW, plus the thought of being well-compensated. I’ve been here for about three years now and looking for more years until I realize my dream".

To while away his time, he plays DOTA, he blogs and he takes photography, too. "Going to the gym regularly and sometimes malling with my home buddies also eat up some of my free days," says Bon.

He calls his job 'nice' which, in Middle East countries most often means it's not a hard labour and the compensations are more than enough. Apart from that, he also enjoys working with different nationalitiess, exploring the desert, and, believe it or not, "meeting camels" (he claims it with a loud laughter). "What I admire most about the Kingdom (of Saudi Arabia) is its culture especially its strong family morals". His list of Saudi downside includes "missing dinuguan", the remoteness of ever walking under the rain (Saudi can be rainless in a year, but in recent years have seen changes in weather), the traffic (which isn't as bad as in Manila but is definitely a nuisance). "The weather here is extremely hot and cold...and it simply implies miss ko na nga ang Pilipinas," concludes Bon.



The blogging bug bit him two years ago and the created for him an indelible mark. Humbly he said he's "not a good writer" (which I -- and the PEBA 2009 judges -- disagree). And where does he get his ideas of what to write about? He reads stories written by other people and he gets inspirations from them. When words start to overflow, there's no stopping Bon. If he's in a right mood, words flows seamlessly in his head and he weaves the words into magical sentences. "Never write when you’re not in your best mood; the thoughts will hardly come out. Write what’s inside, just plain words (nothing technical). Avoid cover-ups. Learn from your experiences and also from others. And lastly, write with a smile."

"It’s easy to be a good writer, as long as you have the quality of time to read and listen to others." He calls all his work 'a masterpiece' "no matter how big or simple it is". Rightly so, I believe.



His winning in PEBA 2009 "somehow boosted Bonistation in the blogosphere" he said. It inspired him to write more sensible articles and stories. For all PEBA 2010 nominees, he advises them to "be proud of your stories, stories with compassion that will surely rock hard everyone’s heart in the Blogosphere and in the whole world as well".

To his fellow OFWs, he leaves these words: Saludo ako sa inyo! Alam kong “lungkot” ang unang kalaban nating mga OFWs, but this can be easily overcome if we accept the reality that this is just a part of our being an OFW. Acceptance is the keyword. And let me share to you some inspiring lines about Being Happy: that we should focus on what we have, not on what we don’t have. Happiness doesn’t come from material things, happiness is found within. We have our family and friends around us, and with them, we should be happy."

► You can read Bon's blog here.

► You can also read our previously featured bloggers in our monthly Spotlight.

Ghostly

It's gone now. All that remains in my memory is how vivid it appeared, and how unafraid I was. Well, almost unafraid. The truth is I was sweating all over before our encounter. It's from not knowing what to expect, I guess. It's from the fear of finding out that my ghastly, ghostly interpretations of how he looks like are true. Surprisingly, he looks so far from how we've conceived him to be.

You see, five years ago, I had an encounter with a tikbalang. That pipe smoking dark creature living mostly in a tree -- portrayed as having a hairy body, a hunchback, with a hoof of a horse, nostrils of a horse, long-haired, etc. Well, our tikbalang wasn't reall all that. He's dark, behairy but not a hunchback. He's piping a cigarette, not a cigar. He's scary because his eyes are not crossed and his teeth dark and stained and he's always salivating. And he has a name. Tikboy Tikbalang.

He used to live in that dark, dreary haunted house (or 'hunted haws' as we kids love to call it) near the public cemetery. After school, we kids would take that corner street even if it's out of our way, scaring ourselves with various ghostly stories, claiming that Tikboy Tikbalang is standing in one of those open windows looking at us, and then on cue, we would dart home as fast as we can, catching our breath, almost dying of laughter making fun of whoever gets home last.

Tikboy Tikbalang, hence, became a part of my youth. He taught us the wonderful world of imagining things and of weaving of stories and of scaring ourselves.

The truth is, he's the katiwala of that 'hunted haws', unmarried, loves cigarettes, and, nobody knows this except me, loves to crack jokes and to make fun of kids. I learned this one day when he caught me sneaking near their fence hoping to have a glimpse of him. I didn't know that he was out and was watching me across the street. I was stooped low among the bushes when I suddenly felt a tapping on my shoulders: sino'ng hinahanap mo? The voice was low-pitched and deep. I knew before I turned my head that it was Tikboy Tikbalang behind me. I thought I'm going to faint before I could turn around and face him, but strangely, he just laughed. Loud and booming laughter. I thought of running away, but my knees were woobling out of fear and I couldn't raise my legs to run.

He said: Tara sa loob. Mag merienda ka.

With what? Human liver, or perhaps a fresh heart? Perhaps, he guessed what I was thinking because before I can raise my eyes on him, he said: Ensaymada.

My favorite!

To cut the story short, Tikboy Tikbalang and I became friends. During the afternoons when I'm free, I would walk by their house and if he's out watering the gardens or perhaps out on errands, he would invite me over so he could ask me series of questions about how I did in school, what tests did I take, whom did I had a fight with, the sort.

It only lasted for a few years because I learned later that he died of something. Nobody told me about it until his absence in that 'hunted haws' became noticeable. When I asked his whereabouts from a neighbor, the reply was plain, simple and matter-of-factly: Patay na s'ya.

I only missed him for a few days. After that, I met many more characters less scarier and less colorful than Tikboy Tikbalang. I hope he realizes, wherever he is now, that someone did remember him (and miss him, too) even if only for a short time.

► Read Nebz's previous articles here.

A festive celebration of the living and the dead

The joyful celebration of November 1 is a unique spectacle of our Filipino culture. The gathering of families and relatives was a more joyful and festive occasion around the tombs, a fiesta-like atmosphere. Definitely this is a tradition that we Filipinos working abroad miss during November.

The gathering of families and relatives is a unique Filipino tradition where we meet "long lost kin", where the renewal and continuing bond is extended with the beloved dead relatives. Indeed, November 1 is a celebration of both the dead and the living.

During this joyful celebration, it is noteworthy to observe that the general atmosphere in the cemetery was a picnic-event. Food plays an important role during the observance of Todos Los Santos as families bring baskets of various foods which include rice and viand in colored plastic containers not only for their own consumption but literally shares a portion of each food prepared exclusively to the departed in small altars in their homes before proceeding to the cemetery.

To some this sounds funny but Filipinos believe that the joyful celebration which include foods must be shared with the departed which reminds me of the stories of Jesus' Resurrection when Christ appears to his disbelieving apostles who are gathered in the upper room in Jerusalem, He asks

“Have you anything here to eat?” (Luke 24:31)"

And they give Him a piece of baked fish, which He eats before them. Another passage from the bible illustrates that Christ appears to his disciples during Resurrection where He had breakfast of bread and fish at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:9-14).

Beyond praying for our beloved dead, we gather to renew family relationships with the living and assure ourselves and as well as the departed that they are not forgotten though we move on with our lives.

While November 1 was supposed Feast for the Saints and the following day, 2nd was the Day of the Dead, it has been a long tradition to celebrate both occasions on November 1. As we look celebrate both feasts, let us pray that may our departed family, relatives and friends will experience the fullness of God's kingdom and become saints as well.

And for all of us presently living, let us try to live a life of saints by responding to God's gift of grace through prayer, service and unity.

► Read The Pope's previous articles here.