Laughing At Our Fears On*

"Strange false faces, costumes, too/ Let's go out and all say Boo!/ I'm so scary and so are you!"

There we go...Trick or treat! Happy Halloween, everyone!

Ah, it's going to be Halloween. That means some, if not most, houses are decorated with seasonal flags, carved pumpkins and jack-o-lanterns. It also means children have already selected or are ready with their Halloween costumes.

I imagine there will be kids in their Batman or little princess attire. Some will be dressed up in just casual clothes with their plastic or canvas bags on hand, hopeful for an assortment of sweets or goodies. Likewise, there will be those older kids dressed as ugly, scary beasts, vampire-like creatures or witches.

The kids, accompanied or escorted by their parents, will be  going door to door around the neighborhood, greeting the homeowners with a shout of "Trick or treat!" while the latter have prepared some goodies, candies, chocolates and other sweet treats to give them away.

In my research, the tradition of observing or celebrating Halloween originally came to North America from Ireland more than a century ago...

When families from the Old World made their way to a new home in America, they brought many of their customs with them. 

The very name of Halloween invites superstition and mysticism, perhaps beginning with the Druids, centuries ago. the Druids began their New Year on November 1, and they lighted fires in honor of the sun god.

The people of Great Britain continued these beliefs, and some of these mystical practices survive even today.

In Ireland, it is believed that a man named Jack was so stingy that he was not allowed to enter heaven; he was also barred from hell because he had played too many tricks on the devil. poor jack was made to walk the earth carrying his lantern until Judgement day.

Since the days of the Romans and Egyptians, people have believed in witches. Even in the early years of our country, some women were thought to be witches and were burned at the stake.

People also believed that the future could be predicted on Halloween. For example, here's a popular tradition in Ireland: A supper was prepared of chopped onions, parsnips, and mashed potatoes. Into this concoction was stirred a thimble, a coin, and a ring. It was believed that the person who was served the thimble would never marry, the receiver of the coin would have great wealth, and the ring meant that the fortunate person who found it in his serving would marry within a year.

Children in Scotland created jack-o-lanterns from large turnips, lit by a candle placed inside.

In England, there was a belief that if a young girl peeled an apple, pared in one piece, swung it around her head three times, and let it drop to the floor, the peeling would shape the initial of her sweetheart.

The custom of children going door-to-door asking for sweets goes back to the seventeenth century, when Irish people asked for money so that a feast might be prepared. Today, some people collect money for UNICEF on Halloween.

Whatever the tradition, Halloween is fun, and sometimes, if it's meant to be---well, a little, anyway!

Well, today, Halloween, in my observation, has become millions or a billion dollar business, from Hollywood to the aisle of the nearest discount store. But kids of all ages still get a kick out of the cheap thrill of good ghost story, and they abound this time of year. It's just an indication that fear is part of life. It's normal to be afraid sometimes, and it's okay to have fun with that fear sometimes. Yes, we do celebrate, and capitalize on, the "ugly" and the "scary" part in/of us.

In the predominantly Catholic Philippines, where I originally came from, I don't remember having this Halloween event for children. Instead, we go clean the public cemeteries the last week of October. That is, en masse, we prepare our cemeteries to be visited or revisited once again. Gravesites or tombs are freshly painted to honor our beloved dead. We pay homage to our beloved departed on November 1, All Saints' Day, and on November 2, All Souls' Day. In addition to remembering our deceased loved ones, we also honor the Catholic Church's saints. We believe that these saints inspire us and guide us in our daily lives. Whenever (and wherever) we pray, we ask their intercession so that our prayers become meaningful, and hopeful wishes will be granted.

In my native country, we go to church cemeteries in late afternoon or early evening and lit candles at the tombs, offering our prayers and flowers. At times, Mass for the dead is said in the public cemetery by a town priest, who then blesses and sprinkles holy water on the gravesites.

The event or occasion is a great chance to see and mingle with friends and family members who may have been away from the community for months or years. In other parts of the country, people have this practice of offering food for the dead.

On the other hand, Philippine public and private schools, and colleges, are closed. It's like Memorial Day, Philippine-style. But, we do observe it not for one day only but on two consecutive days, November 1 and 2.

To all the Catholics around the world, my wishes for a Happy All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day! And to all kids in all of us, have a safe, fun Halloween!-chris a. quilpa, 31October2012.

*This piece of mine appeared in the Opinion page of Suffolk New-Herald on October 30, 2008.

When Disaster/Calamity Strikes

"Water, water, everywhere...here and there, water...overflowing with grandeur...but then, when unleashing its power...there's imminent danger, disaster...people come together...helping one another...in peacetime and in war...

There goes my short verse I just scribbled on my notebook today. My thoughts this early morning is on the floods in Metro Manila, Philippines. There's that nostalgic memory so unforgettable, for me, each time I hear flooding or days of torrential rainfalls in Manila where I happened to live there for a year, particularly in Paco district, in early 1970s. I used to work for a distant relative who engaged in handicraft business that, when there's a tourist ship arriving, the family had to build a temporary or makeshift store in the pier where we sold handicraft items/products such as woodcarvings from Baguio City, loom-woven cotton "abel" and placemats from the Ilocos Region, shirts, as souvenirs for tourists. But when we have a foul weather, like if it rains for two-three consecutive days, especially in Manila, that's a different story. (More details later.) The picture of the area submerged, flooded, the streets...all water, is so vivid, in my mind. Still fresh and raw! OMG, Manila is sinking! It's terrible to remember such a scenario! (BTW, thanks to YouTube and the uploaders of the videos I embedded here with my blog post. No copyright infringement intended.)

Well, now, today I recall: I wrote an Ilokano poem, "No Sumangbay ti Didigra" (When Disaster or Calamity Strikes), and published it in www.iluko.com, in 03/06/2005. My inspiration, then, was that disastrous and devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in Banda Aceh, Indonesia and Thailand, in South Asia (26 Dec. 2004). First off, why did I mention about this? Well, my friends, I would be branded as ignorant and insensitive if I say I didn't know anything about the recent flooding (August 7-8) in Metro Manila, and other  low-lying areas in Luzon, Ilocos Region, Philippines, where I was born. The fact is, I've learned about the torrential rainfalls and the monsoon rains since Sunday, August 05, and Monday, August 06. I also watched TV news and video clips from YouTube. It saddens me to learn about the disaster. I prayed and continue to pray for our fellow "kababayan" who were affected/devastated by this catastrophe. May God bless and protect them from harm and future disaster/calamity. May they always find hope and comfort and strength to continue living their lives. May their struggle and sacrifice be rewarded with a better, decent life, Lord.

This morning, I had to news-update myself about the flooding in the Philippines by reading, online, one of the leading newspapers there, Manila Bulletin. I read about the outpouring of support and prayers from Philippine and international celebrities, and from leaders around the world who sent messages of hope and support to President Noynoy Aquino.

I am relieved to know that flooding is and continues to recede in some areas in Metro Manila. I pray that our good and loving God will help and guide our "kababayan," our fellow Filipinos, especially those who were displaced or evacuated from the disaster, and those who have been rescuing and giving assistance and support. I pray for the leadership of President Noynoy and all his cabinet members who have been trying to assist in the rescue and clean-up efforts. May the good Lord bless them with a caring heart, always!

For those of you willing to learn something about Ilokano, here's the text of my poem, No Sumangbay ti Didigra below. For my readers (who happen to visit or come across my blog), especially those from other countries like Russia, Germany, France, Bulgaria, United Kingdom, Turkey, etc., I'd like to give you a hint or tip on how to read my Ilokano poem/s. Remember that the Philippines was colonized by Spain for over 300 years and as such the Spanish influence is inevitable in our language, culture, etc. For our letters of the alphabet, especially our vowels a, e, i, o, u, they are pronounced the Spanish/Latin/Japanese way. Get it? Compared to English or American English or British English, there's a difference in the pronunciation of our vowels. In English, we learned about short a, long a; short e, long e; short i, long i, etc. That's just a simple Ilokano 101 lesson, from me. Okay, folks, ready? Let's go...(Let me see if I can translate it for you in English. I'll try my best, ok.)

No Sumangbay ti Didigra                              When Disaster/Calamity Strikes

No sumangbay ti didgra                                 When disaster strikes
Awan a pulos pilpilienna                                Nothing gets on her way
Ket madadael dagiti sanikua                          And property are destroyed
Nga inurnong ditoy Daga.                              Everything accumulated on Earth.

Maungaw dagiti pinarsua                               Lives are lost
Lakay, baket wenno maladaga                       Men and women, even the young
Ket matda dagiti dadduma                             But others are spared
Nga agrigrigat, agsagsagaba.                        To suffer and struggle.

Mangruginto manen  dagiti natda                  Those left behind start again
Nga agputar panagbiagda                              To live their lives anew
Iti baet ti leddaang-pannakaulilada                Amidst the sorrow and pain
Rumusingdanto manen ken rummangpayada.They will survive and succeed.

Iti panaglabas dagiti kanito                            As time passes by          
Ken dagiti nabalitokan a tiempo                    And golden moments, too
Dagiti nabati agkaykaysada nga agrag-o       Those left behind unite in joy
Ken agyaman baro a biagda manipud Ngato.And give thanks for their new life from 
                                                                         Above!

                                            (c) 2012 by chris a. quilpa

Philippine Experience

On this First (day) of May, I feel a little bit nostalgic. How come, you ask me? Well, this morning while surfing the 'Net, I came across a number of videos (on YouTube) about the Philippines. And, it's now summertime over there! I'm glad to know that lots of foreigners, or tourists, find The Land of My Birth interesting and fascinating. In their video testimonies, they seemed to like/love the place for varied reasons.

Back in early 80s, I remember we have had foreign students, especially from Thailand, at the University where my wife and I used to teach. I was wondering what prompted the Thai students, mostly in the graduate school, to come to study in the University. They have varied reasons, too, I'm sure. Anyway, I'm delighted that they have had this unique Philippine experience.

Nowadays, tourism is given much emphasis in the Philippines, as evidenced in some of the interesting and informative, and educational videos on YouTube. Though it is still a developing country, the Philippines has much to offer to tourists and students, and investors alike. Economic growth and development are everywhere over there now, and capitalism is very much alive and vibrant. I've learned and witnessed about these things on my last visit  there four years ago. Man, there was such an overwhelming progress seen everywhere, from the rural areas to Vigan City in the North to big cities such as Metro Manila! There's this proliferation of newly-constructed, European-inspired houses everywhere, from provinces to provinces. I was overwhelmed with pride and joy to see these beautiful houses and tall buildings! Well, it's undeniably booming economically over there. (How I wish to be back there again someday and reconnect with my other members of my family, friends, relatives, etc., while visiting other tourist attractions, savoring my favorite food, and enjoying the slower pace of life. I know, my vacation is long overdue! We've got to get away, folks!)   

I know, OFWs or Overseas Filipino Workers have played a pivotal or major part in this progress of living in the Philippines. With their remittances from their earnings or wages/salaries from working abroad, these OFWs were able to send their children to college, build or rebuild their houses, put up small business, etc. (The reality is that majority of them own their houses, with no more mortgages because they themselves financed the cost of building their house.) They sacrifice leaving their family behind just so they can give or provide them better future especially for their children. That's why the OFWs are considered "New Heroes" by the Philippine government because of their enormous economic contributions to the country. By the way, since today is a special holiday, Labor Day in the Philippines (and elsewhere in other countries, like Spain), I wish all OFWs around the globe all the best!

On the other hand, it's been a fact that the rate of literacy in the Philippines is higher comparable to other Southeast Asian countries. People there know the value of education. The parents do their best to provide a good, higher education for their children. They believe that education is the key to a successful future. FYI: English is very much spoken of by the majority of the population. In fact, it is one of two official languages and the medium of instruction in schools and universities, public and private. 

Working and living in the Philippines? There's this video about this topic and hopefully you'll be enlightened.

Well, friends, this is all for now. Until next time around. Take care and have a blessed First of May, everyone!-chris a. quilpa, 01May2012

P.S. I do hope you've enjoyed and learned something about the Philippines from the videos embedded with this blog post. No, definitely the videos are not mine. They're from YouTube. No copyright infringement intended. I thank YouTube and the uploaders of the videos used herewith. Thanks also to Google and Blogger.-caq

Vigan, Ilocos Sur: A UNESCO World Heritage Site (A Video)