Growing up in the Philippines, I never made a single parol.
They were ubiquitous, gracing homes for a little over 4 months each year, from the start of September (when Christmas unofficially but unanimously begins in the Philippines) all through the Christmas season. Named after the Spanish word for lantern, farol, they are not only symbols of the Star of Bethlehem, but the quintessential symbol of Christmas in the Philippines as well.
Continue reading
Holy Week – Mahal na Araw – was impossible to miss back home.
Written by a Jesuit priest in the Philippines, it resonated with me then (not only in matters of the heart, but especially so), as did a wise friend’s admonition to “Make haste slowly”.
Both are ageless in wisdom and ring true, especially to the young – perhaps now more than ever.
With six hours between flights and not much energy left, the last thing I wanted to do was walk or sit inside an airline terminal.
So I sat outside.
Though we’ve enjoyed the cooler nighttime temperatures this past week, it is nevertheless a sobering reminder that the end of summer is drawing near. Soon enough, we’ll bid a wistful farewell to warm leisurely days and buckle down for the cooler more structured days of fall…
On yet another sweltering day with occasional thunderstorms, we had some indoor fun by practicing tinikling, the Philippine national folk dance. (Rather, it is widely thought to be, though the national dance is actually the cariñosa.)
Our big craft for the week involved making (rather, trying to make) clay cooking sets just like the one in the book, Araw Sa Palengke
Every day this week has dawned bright and sunny – just like back home.
It has been quite windy too, perfect for some saranggola (kite) fun. The little ones don’t even stop when the wind dies down – they simply run around tirelessly with their saranggola soaring above them.
Our 5th annual at-home Pinoy Camp started on Monday! Yehey! 😉
The other day, we attended a picnic for Young Filipino-American families at a park, organized by Venessa of the Filipino School of New York and New Jersey.
As if on cue, the weather obliged us with a near-Philippine high of 94 degrees. And yet, unfazed by the sweltering heat, we all stayed for at least a couple of hours, sharing Pinoy food, games, and pagsasamahan (fellowship) – perhaps just a tiny bit envious of the kids who donned swimsuits to cool off in the park’s water splash area.
Pinoy Roots 