Ready…Set…March!

In this side of the planet, the third month of the year is also the last month in the life of any student. And how fitting for the month’s name to be the same as the action word done by a student every year – at least by one who is about to take his or her last few steps as a student.

So…ready…set…March!

Congratulations to those who have survived all the struggles and felt the joy as well as the pain of living as a student. Now’s the time to put your best foot forward.

Did you do well enough to get any piece of recognition from your school? Will it matter if you did or didn’t? No one knows. One thing is for sure though: You have learned to try to do better in anything that comes your way from this point on.

Ready to march your way to the stage and receive your diploma? Ready to share your last bunch of memories with classmates and dear friends?

It’s okay if you feel like crying. You’re not the only one who feels like it. And it is your special day.

Hug your friends and teachers. You won’t be seeing them as often as you would want to. Confess your feelings to your secret crush. This could be the right time. If it doesn’t work, at least it’s your final day to see each other.

Whether you’re off to high school or college, or to get a job, give yourself some time to relax and recharge. Try not to think of what’s to come and what might happen. At least for a moment, be in a Zen and focus on your “now.” Enjoy some things that you would satisfy you (without the guilt, of course).

Every fresh graduate does one thing during vacation – get some ample sleep. Doze off and recharge your whole being.

Don’t be hasty when it comes to preparing for the future. For the meantime, think of nothing but “now” thoughts. You need to prep your perspective. Things are going to make a sharp turn as you yourself grow older and more mature.

You may want to postpone any plan for the first few weeks of the summer vacation for Holy Week is just around the corner. Get some divine blessings. Thank your Maker for what you have accomplished so far.

Then, troop over to the beach and enjoy the moment. This may not come as often as you want it to when you get busy in college or in your career.

Life becomes very different once you step out of your former school. Best to be charged up to face any difficulty you would encounter. Yes, it is going to be more difficult this time around. But no one is as ready to face this as you are…dear graduate.

Omedetou Gozaimasu!

*****JHAJR*****

The Philippine Pasko

It is no secret that the Philippines has one heck of  a Christmas celebration. It’s the most anticipated time of the year. Way grander than the country’s own Independence Day.

It shouldn’t be a surprise. Christmas, after all, is an occasion for the family, and Filipinos are very much family-oriented.

Actually, the anticipation of Christmas starts on the arrival of the “-ber” months. So that’s from September, when the temperature starts to drop; Malls start to sell Christmas ornaments and people start buying gifts so as to avoid haggling as the occasion draws near.

Do you know that there is a “Pasko” (translation for Christmas) in the Philippines that happens before the “real” Pasko?

Believe it or not, it’s All Soul’s Day. For some reason, people have started to call it “Pasko ng Patay” (Christmas for the Dead), with the word “Pasko” not literally meaning Christmas but rather a “big celebration.” A festival of sort. Filipinos honor the dead very much that All Soul’s Day is not just a time for remembering the dearly departed, it has also become a wonderful time for families to get together and celebrate the glory of life and death.

After that supposedly dark celebration, the lights that signal the greatest occasion in the country are lit to provide warmth and joy. Now Christmas is really just around the corner.

But before we get to the day itself, Filipino Christmas will never be complete without a 9-morning-celebration called the Simbang Gabi (Night Mass), a celebration observed by members of the Roman Catholic Church.

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In Simbang Gabi, people gather inside the church at 4 o’clock in the morning to hear a mass, celebrating the glory of the message to Mother Mary and her journey with Joseph to Bethlehem. Some churches nowadays hold a mass in the morning and at night to accommodate those who cannot attend the morning mass. To some this is more apt for the name Simbang Gabi.

If you want to learn more about Simbang Gabi, check this site

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Filipino Christmas is also never complete with the decorations that celebrate the joyous occasions in vibrant colors. The Philippine “Parol” (lantern) is the most popular symbol of Christmas in the country.

The Parol is usually star-shaped and is made to signify the star that illuminated the manger where Jesus Christ was born in and which guided the Three Wise Men in their journey. It can be made of any material and in any size. The most popular in the country are those made of capiz which are exported to other countries. A parol can be very ordinary-looking or special such as those that can be lit, but no matter what the type is, they are symbols of craftsmanship.

Know more about Parol here

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During the 9-day Simbang Gabi or even a few days before, people – mostly children – go out in the neighborhood and do “Karoling” (caroling).

In the Philippines, there is a “naughty-kid” spice added to it, making the Philippine Caroling truly a different experience.

Give the carolers some change or gift and they’ll sing to you their gratitude:

“Thank you, thank you. Ang babait ninyo, thank you!”

(Thank you, thank you. How nice of you, thank you)

Now, if a bunch of kids stop in front of your house and starts singing and you find yourself without loose change, don’t just shove them off or tell them your excuse. Say “patawad” literally translated as “forgive me”. It’s a way of making the kids understand that you can’t give them any and that you appreciate their efforts.

But now brace yourself, for this is could be the time when you will get a retraction from the kids. But don’t worry, they’d do it through a song. They’d go:

“Thank you, thank you. Ang babarat ninyo, thank you!”

(Thank you, thank you. How stingy you are, thank you)

Learn more about Filipino Caroling

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The Philippine Christmas Eve is celebrated with a Noche Buena, a term derived from the Spanish phrase “Good Night.” With the Philippines being a Spanish colony in the past, the tradition of having family dinner is observed in the country as well. However, Noche Buena in the Philippines starts after a family has attended the Misa de Gallo (Midnight Mass). A Filipino dining table would usually have pancit, chicken dishes, lumpia, adobo, among others for the main courses; puto bumbong, bibingka, fruit salad and other native desserts; and soda, juice, beer or wine for drinks.

Learn more about Noche Buena

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There are a number of ethnic groups in the Philippines that celebrate Christmas in a variety of ways. These are only the most common activities and preparations that the locals do and make to celebrate the world’s longest Christmas season.

Learn more about Philippine Christmas in these sites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philippine_Christmas_traditions
http://www.philippinesinsider.com/events-festivals-holidays/christmas-in-the-philippines/
http://www.santas.net/philippineschristmas.htm

drawings by j. arboleda jr.

*****JHAJR*****

From East to Southeast: A Look At Popular Japanese and Philippine Folklore Figures

They are part of every culture. Orally transmitted beliefs, myths, and legends that in its core are teachers of valuable lessons in life. Any child would have heard of it from grown-ups to give them advice. “Huwag ka’ng lalabas sa gabi, baka kunin ka ng maligno” (Don’t go outside at night or a ghoul will take you).

Folklores were once used to promote nationalism. Only in the 20th century did now-famous people such as the Brothers’ Grimm, Wilhelm and Jakob Grimm collected orally transmitted German tales and finally publishing the first series as “Children and Household Tales.”

Folklores have been transmitted from one generation to another to promote cultural heritage. They may scare you (such as tikbalang, tiyanak, rokurokkubi) or make you feel silly (such as kasa no obake) but one thing is for certain: these are all part of a movement towards promotion of unity through culture.

Tales Of the East

The Japanese folklore is heavily influenced by Shinto and Buddhism. It often involves humurous or bizarre characters and situations. The now generation is most probably familiar with its figures in manga and anime. Here are a few of them:

Yuki-Onna (Snow Woman)
The Yuki-onna’s story is about a woman who appeared before a young man and an old man who could not go back home because of a snowstorm. She breathed on the old man and killed him but not at the young man, sparing him for being “young and beautiful.” She told him not to relate what happened to anyone or she will kill him.
Years later, he met a woman named Oyuki (yuki means “snow”), married her and had children. One night, he told Oyuki how she reminds him of an incident that happened to him before when he met a Yuki-onna. Oyuki then stood up and revealed that she is the Yuki-onna. She couldn’t kill him because of their children, so she only melted away, never to be seen again. (1)

Kitsune (Fox)
There was once a powerful lord who heard the cry for help of a beautiful woman in the woods. He fell in love and married the lady. But when the lord learned that she is a kitsune, she was sent away (in some stories she was killed). (2)

Kasa no Obake (Umbrella Monster)
An umbrella with one eye and one leg which it uses to hop around. It’s not dangerous, just funny. (3)

Kappa
A creature that looks like a turtle but with a beak and a plate of water on top of its head. It is associated with rivers and other bodies of water. In one story, the kappa tricked people into playing pull-fingers with it. The strong kappa pulled its victim into the river, never to be seen. A man in a horse played with him but suddenly urged his horse to run, pulling the kappa, and the water on its plate spilled. The monster mercifully promised to teach the man how to set bones in return for its freedom. The man asked another promise for it to never molest human beings. Decades later, a descendant of the man became a skilled bone surgeon because of the knowledge taught by the kappa.
http://gargas.biomedicale.univ-paris5.fr/eurocal/ecrits/kappasto.html (4)

Rokurokkubi (Long-Necked Woman)
Usually women, they like to lick the oil used in indoor lanterns. They also love to scare regular humans by elongating their necks. Though during the day they appear normal, they combat the urge at night to elongate their necks. In some accounts, the rokurokkubi drinks blood and lives only to prey on humans.
http://www.dreamdawn.com/sh/key_view.php?key=Creature%20Feature (5)

Nopperabo (Woman Without a Face)
The nopperabo’s agenda is simply to scare humans and nothing more. In a story, a lazy fisherman decided to fish in the imperial koi ponds near the Heiankyo palace. Despite being warned by his wife about the pond being sacred ground and near a graveyard, the fisherman went anyway. On his way to the pond, he is warned by another fisherman to not go there, but he again ignores the warning. Once at the spot, he is met by a beautiful young woman who pleads him to not fish in the pond. He ignores her, and to his horror, she wipes her face off. Rushing home to hide, he is confronted by what seems to be his wife, who chastises him for his wickedness before wiping off her facial features as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noppera-b%C5%8D (6)

Tsuru (Crane)
Similar to the story of the Yuki-onna, the tsuru had given the man who took her in an order that must not be broken. She told him never to witness her work on her beautiful kimonos. When the man did, he found out she was a crane and was using her feathers. She flew away and was never seen. (7)

Zashiki Warashi (Little Boy in The Room)
When this little boy (warashi) appears in a house, it will bring good fortune to those who live in it. It can be a little naughty but not dangerous. (8)

Tanuki (Raccoon Dog)
Pranksters by nature, a popular tanuki story involves a man and his wife who caught a tanuki. He wanted to cook the creature for his wife. When the man returned home, his wife gave him tanuki stew. Then his wife changed her shape to that of a tanuki. The man realized that he had eaten his own wife. (9)

Tales Of The SouthEast

The Philippine folktale is a collection of tales and superstitions about magical creatures and entities. Though not prevalent in present-day media and literature, these figures still hold some popularity for the now-generation.

White Lady
As the name implies, a lady dressed in white is seen walking on a deserted place on a quiet night. Most stories connect the white lady to schools and universities with very quiet nights. They usually don’t talk but if they do, are probably asking for directions as they are simply lost souls. Though some accounts tell of a white lady causing drivers to travel on a circle after seeing a white lady in a bridge. (1)

Kapre (Giant Tree Demon)
A tree demon with human characteristics, the kapre is always seen sniffing a tobacco. They usually dwell in big trees like acacias and mangoes. They’re not evil and would most likely appear to a human to offer friendship or love to a woman.(2)

Tikbalang (Man With Horse Head)
This creature takes travelers deeper into the forest to get them lost. It could take the form of a human that will escort its victim to the forest. (3)

Halimaw Sa Banga (Monster In An Ern)
Made popular by a movie, the halimaw sa banga is about a cursed woman who was buried inside a banga (ern). A family who brought it, became her target to seek her revenge.(4)

Tiyanak (Demon Infant)
Believed to be the child of the devil, the tiyanak in some accounts, is a fetus that a mother aborted in the forest. It could like a very innocent baby but changes its appearance to a demonic one with horns and fangs to kill its victims. (5)

Manananggal (Flying Viscera Sucker)
A beautiful woman can severe its upper torso and fly with bat-like wings in the middle of the night. It preys on pregnant women by landing on the roof and using its long tongue to suck the heart of fetuses or the blood of sleeping victims. (6)

Syokoy (Merman)
The syokoy differs from the merman of popular mermaid myths. It has no fish tail and possesses webbed hands and feet. Its body is also scaly and green and is believed to be mean-hearted compared to mermans. (7)

Duwende
The duwendes are peace-loving creatures until their place of dwelling is disturbed. They can curse the one who disturbed them or possess the body of anyone who did them wrong or they hold affection for. (8)

*****JHAJR******

japanese and philippine folklore figures images drawn by j.arboleda jr.