Day 12 - Fiesta Wrap-Up
The fiesta was really neat. When I left off at my last blog entry, guests started arriving. Lots of them.
My Lola isn't very mobile, so she spent all of her time in her bedroom while guests came in to give their wishes and blessings. There was a small altar in the corner of the room with different dishes of filipino food, three white candles, and a large cross.
The first group of visitors led a prayer vigil for Lola... all older ladies from the barrio. It was v interesting to observe; the women placed their hankies on top of their heads and began chanting/praying in tagalog. There were parts of the ceremony where you'd sit, stand, kneel... lots of chanting and responding. And crying as well. It felt like a very old filipino-catholic tradition... the first time I had ever seen it. At the end we all went up to Lola, who sat in a chair the entire time, and blessed her. She gave me a very warm hug and embrace. I'm glad that she recognized me.
I always feel so bad when I'm with her... I don't speak tagalog, so I can't converse with her other then the simple "hello", "good morning", "good afternoon", etc... I wasn't sure if she was aware of the fact that her daughter, my mom, was in the mental ward of UST. I wanted to communicate to Lola that I was taking care of my mom so she wouldn't have to worry. I hope that my aunts have conveyed that to her.
The day was very long... lots of eating, lots of guests. It was overwhelming for me, and I just stayed out of the way in a corner. Occassionally I would retreat to the guest room and either read or lie down. Again, it was soooo hot, so I'd alternate between sitting in AC and sitting in front of a fan with the other guests.
I met a lot of people who knew me, but I didn't know them. One woman asked what I was doing here on this visit, so I told her that I was visiting my mom at UST. She asked what was wrong with her, and I evaded the question. I just said that mom was sick, but getting better. I wasn't sure who did/didn't know that mom was "crazy", and I wasn't sure if it was something that my family would discuss with outsiders. So, I kept my mouth shut for most of the afternoon.
I met a cousin, Sally, who was very excited to see me. When she walked in, she recognized me from pictures instantly and chatted away. She knew my mom's story and knew Janice. I was just really surprised at the number of people who knew me, but I had no idea who they were.
Have you every been to a party where you knew absolutely no one, and you weren't really into the party? That was how I felt for most of the day. Kinda trapped. Bored. I played games on my PDA to pass the time and avoid uncomfortable conversations with people who had limited knowledge of English. I've always felt bad that I didn't know Tagalog so well. Its really limited my interactions with people here, and its always been the same story in the past as well.
After hours and hours of guests, I was finally able to get away from the house. I hopped in a tricycle and headed to the mall. I had a bunch of things to do... reload my SIM card (I ran out of minutes), buy a couple of shirts since I underpacked for this weekend, and I picked up a couple of DVDs (V for Vendetta and Syriana.) They were only $10 USD and I could use the entertainment. I've already plowed through the Surviving Schizophrenia book and the Lonely Planet Philippines guide. I left my other books back in MNL, not thinking that I'd finish the SS book so quickly.
Late in the afternoon, I met Serena. I guess that she helped my mom a lot... her english was pretty limited, so we had my cousin JoJo act as the intermediary. She asked if she could come with me on Tuesday to see my mom. I could tell that she missed my mom; she kept on emphasizing how close they were, and she had a very sad look in her eye. So, on Tuesday, Jojo will drive us all back to MNL and we will do a visit with mom.
Nothing planned for the next couple of days. I need to go to Lexber tomorrow to check on mom's house and see if anything needs to be repaired. Then on Monday, my aunt and I will go to the bank to figure out mom's finances. At some point I'll also visit our family bookstore.
I miss the freedom to wander around in MNL. There really isn't much to do around here and I couldn't find an internet cafe at the mall!
My Lola isn't very mobile, so she spent all of her time in her bedroom while guests came in to give their wishes and blessings. There was a small altar in the corner of the room with different dishes of filipino food, three white candles, and a large cross.
The first group of visitors led a prayer vigil for Lola... all older ladies from the barrio. It was v interesting to observe; the women placed their hankies on top of their heads and began chanting/praying in tagalog. There were parts of the ceremony where you'd sit, stand, kneel... lots of chanting and responding. And crying as well. It felt like a very old filipino-catholic tradition... the first time I had ever seen it. At the end we all went up to Lola, who sat in a chair the entire time, and blessed her. She gave me a very warm hug and embrace. I'm glad that she recognized me.
I always feel so bad when I'm with her... I don't speak tagalog, so I can't converse with her other then the simple "hello", "good morning", "good afternoon", etc... I wasn't sure if she was aware of the fact that her daughter, my mom, was in the mental ward of UST. I wanted to communicate to Lola that I was taking care of my mom so she wouldn't have to worry. I hope that my aunts have conveyed that to her.
The day was very long... lots of eating, lots of guests. It was overwhelming for me, and I just stayed out of the way in a corner. Occassionally I would retreat to the guest room and either read or lie down. Again, it was soooo hot, so I'd alternate between sitting in AC and sitting in front of a fan with the other guests.
I met a lot of people who knew me, but I didn't know them. One woman asked what I was doing here on this visit, so I told her that I was visiting my mom at UST. She asked what was wrong with her, and I evaded the question. I just said that mom was sick, but getting better. I wasn't sure who did/didn't know that mom was "crazy", and I wasn't sure if it was something that my family would discuss with outsiders. So, I kept my mouth shut for most of the afternoon.
I met a cousin, Sally, who was very excited to see me. When she walked in, she recognized me from pictures instantly and chatted away. She knew my mom's story and knew Janice. I was just really surprised at the number of people who knew me, but I had no idea who they were.
Have you every been to a party where you knew absolutely no one, and you weren't really into the party? That was how I felt for most of the day. Kinda trapped. Bored. I played games on my PDA to pass the time and avoid uncomfortable conversations with people who had limited knowledge of English. I've always felt bad that I didn't know Tagalog so well. Its really limited my interactions with people here, and its always been the same story in the past as well.
After hours and hours of guests, I was finally able to get away from the house. I hopped in a tricycle and headed to the mall. I had a bunch of things to do... reload my SIM card (I ran out of minutes), buy a couple of shirts since I underpacked for this weekend, and I picked up a couple of DVDs (V for Vendetta and Syriana.) They were only $10 USD and I could use the entertainment. I've already plowed through the Surviving Schizophrenia book and the Lonely Planet Philippines guide. I left my other books back in MNL, not thinking that I'd finish the SS book so quickly.
Late in the afternoon, I met Serena. I guess that she helped my mom a lot... her english was pretty limited, so we had my cousin JoJo act as the intermediary. She asked if she could come with me on Tuesday to see my mom. I could tell that she missed my mom; she kept on emphasizing how close they were, and she had a very sad look in her eye. So, on Tuesday, Jojo will drive us all back to MNL and we will do a visit with mom.
Nothing planned for the next couple of days. I need to go to Lexber tomorrow to check on mom's house and see if anything needs to be repaired. Then on Monday, my aunt and I will go to the bank to figure out mom's finances. At some point I'll also visit our family bookstore.
I miss the freedom to wander around in MNL. There really isn't much to do around here and I couldn't find an internet cafe at the mall!
posted by YodaBeesh at
6:04 AM
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