Family news

it is fiesta day, so although I managed to get to church at the dawn mass, the streets were already full of vendors and the church was packed. I made it to the doorway, and left partway through, since I tend to faint in hot crowded churches.

Oh well.

The vendor sell everything: Mainly baubles and toys for kids, but also snacks. Going up the street, I was confronted with: Bubbles.

Bubbles? Yes, one vendor was selling a water pistol that shot bubbles.

Reminded me of the Stan Freburg skit about "Turn off the bubble machine": Only funny if you remember Lawrence Welk.



The fiesta is actually tomorrow, but it starts today.

I will avoid it of course.

In the past, Lolo and all the veterans of WWII would march at the start of the parade, and they would all stay here, spending the fiesta talking and laughing and drinking imported whiskey that Lolo would bring from the USA.

With the years, they got strokes or sick or died, so now they lead the parade no more.

one of our local reporters posted last year's parade on line. This is down the street from us. In the background you can see the town square, and across the street is some of the local vendors who sells BBQ (pork, bbq chicken wings, feet, and heads... and Balut.



the local costume is... genes and teeshirts. Some Chinese teeshirts from local vendors, but you also see gifts from their family workers from overseas, saying I I heart HK or Chicago Bulls, or with Korean writing. If you are really formal, you wear the collared ones (aka polo shirt in the US).

 Each association and barangay (neighborhood) has a float or people walking or dancing. Usually it is with their saints, but it includes beautiful girls and secular themes too.

Since my stepson's family is Protestant, they pride themselves on not going. Joy will go to visit family in Bulacan, and Chano is holding an outing for his farmers etc to a local beach.

But of course, today is not the fiesta: Officially it is tomorrow.And actually, the family parties are going on all weekend.

I ran into Emy who was busy getting stuff to decorate the local barnagay chapel, and other relatives are here from overseas. Lolo would come every year when he worked in the USA also.

Family is strong here, but alas since Lolo died, in our house it is fragmenting. "Who am I to judge?" and being told who is the boss is not a good combination. Don't ask.