Family news

The Philippines is shut down for Undas, i.e. All Saints day, when everyone goes to the cemeteries and cleans up the graves of their departed relatives.

I had the staff clean up and wax the brick floor of Lolo's grave, and will get more flowers and candles for it later.

I still visit it weekly... you light a candle and place flowers of Sampagita there, and say a prayer when you visit. For All Saint's day, it usually means staying for a couple hours and eating and drinking and partying there.

In the "old" cemetery, there are vendors all over the place with drinks and snacks, candles and flowers, and toys to keep the children occupied when you clean up the place.

Flowers left on the graves are quickly recycled by the street kids.

But Ina's grave site, where Lolo wanted to be buried, is almost full now, so Lolo is buried in the new part of the cemetery, so has a house around the grave.... so not as much partying going on.