Dalaguete Fiesta 2011 - Celebrating 300 Years

(Photo Credit: Fritzie Faith Navarrete-Abangan)

Today is my hometown's (Dalaguete, Philippines) annual fiesta, and I'm feeling like I miss a huge part of the celebration. It's supposed to be 300 years since the town was established and so the local government made efforts to make it a huge one.

I watched in envy as my friends in Philippines posted photos of the events through Facebook, and broadcast to everyone they knew how alive the festivities are. Fiesta this year will last for a week, which means folks back home will get to enjoy the event for a much longer period than what was customary.

I pictured all the scrumptious Filipino dishes prepared in every household where you can eat whatever you want. You don't go on a diet during fiesta. That is unheard of in our culture. You eat to your heart's content and worry about weight later on.

Roasted pork (lechon) is common, as well as other meat dishes like humba, chicharon, dinuguan, embutido, etc., as well as some sweet treats that you only prepare during special occasions such as torta, tostado, sweetened macaroni salad, etc. I love my mom's humba, lumpia, hamon, pinatatasan, and ginaling. I miss those foods that even spelling them out makes my mouth water. *sigh* :-D

It heightened my homesickness more when I remember celebrations in my native hometown. Christmas, fiestas, birthdays, and the like evoke feelings of longing in me. I wanted to be with my family and old friends so much, that I wish I can just pack my bags and go home. It's part of human nature to feel attached to his old way of life especially when there are so many beautiful memories and wonderful times shared with loved ones.

My life is so much different now that I have my own family, and living in a foreign land. I'm still adjusting to the change and the environment, but once in a while my heart still goes back to my past. I made my choice to marry a foreigner and start a family in a strange country. So far the entire experience is rich and wonderful, with all its ups and downs. In spite of it all, I am most proud of being a true Filipina and a Dalaguetnon by heart.

Happy fiesta to my family, friends, and to all Dalaguete townsfolk! Long live everyone!

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Missing the Bayanihan Spirit

The lack of sleep is wearing me out. For days since Christmas, I didn’t have enough rest and sleep. The demands of taking care of the family and finding time for myself seem very hard to juggle. How I wish I am living with my family in Cebu! I know I will always have help 24/7. With a big family there and lots of hands to offer help, I’ll be greatly relieved!

Three years living in America with only my husband to share in the household duties, life is always hectic. The thing that really frustrates me is that no other person is there to assist. I miss the Filipino way of life where everyone in your family—even your neighbors—are willing to be there for you. I remember a cousin who was about to give birth (most women in the Philippines go through home birth) and everyone in the neighborhood came to her house to help out in any way. One boiled water to be used during birth and delivery, some tidied up the place, another one cooked something to eat, while others were simply there to cheer her up. Everyone is involved and share in the experience. What a wonderful example of the bayanihan spirit! It’s that unique Filipino quality that is simply admirable and which I miss so much.

Before I decided to live in the US, I’ve read about the typical life in this country. I thought I have understood everything until I actually experienced it. Here, I have to be independent, self-reliant, and productive. It’s good in a way but sometimes it can be very exhausting. And it can be lonely sometimes, too. It’s a relief to have other people help out when I feel too tired to do something. Let somebody do the cooking or the laundry or babysitting, while I relax without worrying about those things. Ah, it’s true that you won’t realize the value of something until you actually miss it. I just feel it today.

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