Greetings from Tarlac
Hello everyone! I didn't have internet access over the past couple of days, so I just read your comments/messages now. It's 820AM and I'm at an internet cafe in San Rafael, Tarlac City, Tarlac. I stayed with my nun-friends from Saturday night till this morning. They also know my friend who just got married, so we went to the wedding together. I left right after breakfast, just as they were about to have a meeting. I'm about to head for their mission area in the mountains of Capas, Tarlac. The mission area is a resettlement area for Aetas, more popularly known as Kalangitan (Heaven). So malapit akong umakyat sa langit ngayon, hehe :) I'll be staying there until December 22nd or 23rd. I've been going there since I was 12 years old, so the place is so close to my heart. The Aetas there saw me grow up, so they treat me like I'm one of them. I'll be staying with a family that has known me since my high school years.The wedding was great. Too bad we were late so I missed the march at the beginning of the ceremony. May budyong pa naman (Note: A budyong is a carabao horn that the Mangyans use to signal a major event or gather the people together)...I missed that...waaah! But the ceremony, as well as the reception, had a lot of instances that were just so moving. The ninongs and ninangs included a Mangyan couple. Iyak sila ng iyak nung wedding ceremony. Yun pala, parang nanay at tatay na rin sila asawa ng kaibigan ko. He lived with them during the years he spent as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mindoro. Right after the wedding, I witnessed an Aeta couple hand a native rooster to my friend and her husband. It turned out they had walked for two hours just to make it to the wedding. At marami pang iba.
Dun lang ako nakakita ng Mangyan at Aeta na magkasama. Oh, Dinky Soliman was there. So was Howie Severino. Nakasabay kong mag-lunch si Dinky Soliman. She commented that the wedding was one of the most culturally integrated ceremonies she had ever witnessed. Mabuhay ang mga katutubo!
I didn't bring the connector of my digicam so I'll upload the pictures when I go back to Manila.
Addendum:
Here is a picture of the Aeta couple who walked to Sta. Juliana, Tarlac for two hours just to give the native rooster to my friend and her husband. I was standing right in front of them when that happened, and I was really touched by what I witnessed.
found herself @ 8:19 AM
8 Comments:
nakaka move naman yong couple who brought native chicken...imagine 2 hrs of walking, whew! thats huge for us na sanay sa sasakyan...sorrounded by mangyan and aetas, keep your feet grounded and blessful. i cant wait to see your pics!
kakainggit ka naman D. sana ma-upload mo na mga pics...
Happy Christmas D.
hihintayin namin yan sistah! mukhang interesting... di pa ako naka-witness ng ganyan.
Maligayang Pasko jan sa inyo at sa ating Inang Bayan!
Glad to have you back, Dianne! Till when will you be in town? Hope the holidays do you good. Merry Christmas!
peej b.
hello! I'm glad you are having fun at home! i wish you and your family merry christmas!!! greetings from croatia!
Hello everyone! Sorry for not getting back to you right away! I've been really busy.
Ate Malaine: I agree with what you said. I was really moved by what I witnessed.
I'm about to upload the pics!
Mommy Lei: Thank you for your note. Eto na , I'm about to upload the pics. I wish the computer I'm using wasn't so darn slow. Oh well.
Hope you had a Merry Christmas in your side of the world!
Mommy Neng: Thanks! I appreciate your patience.
Belated Merry Christmas po sa inyo. Happy New Year rin po!
Peej: Thanks! I'll be here till January 16th. Hope you had a blessed Christmas. Take care!
Lyra: Thanks, sweetie! Hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas. Wishing you a fruitful New Year, as well.
I love this picture! That's a very sweet and touching gesture from aeta couple.
Duke: Yup! My sentiments exactly. I'm lucky I was able to take a photograph of that moment.
Thanks for dropping by my blog. Come back anytime!
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