Night Time in Boac-Photo by Dennis Villegas
The Boac Cathedral, where my Parents Renewed Bows
( see item number 3)
The following is a write-up of my daughter experiences on her recent trip to the Philippines. She titled it " Survivor Philippines and my Parents Golden Wedding Anniversary.
" Resembling the journey survivor contestants make to get to their island, after 47 hours of travel -planes, trains, automobiles and a long ferry ride-- Carenna and I finally arrived on the peaceful island of Marinduque. Staying at my parents winter home and resort, www.chateaudumer.com , we were joined by all my siblings, brother-in-law Dave, nephew Ian, niece Elaine, and first cousins, Ella and Lanie and Alex ( Lanie's S.O. and Carenna's personal "bee killer"). It was quite an experience getting there and being there." Here are the 12 memorable things about the Philippines during my trip:
1 (One) Great performance- Carenna sings "New World" at the Anniversary reception
(Two) Happily married parents ( renewed vows after 50 years)
3. Three Hours of holding Carenna (50 lbs), sweating during midnight mass in an ancient (no A/C) cathedral built in 1660 with 1000+ mass attendees( imagine survivor LOG HOLD challenge)
One lechon Gone4. Four Roasted Pigs -aka Lechon . Carenna got to meet the live pigs the day before they appeared at the party ( albeit with tan).
5. Five guys eating balut- Ian, Dave, Alex, Dodie and David E had a christmas day Balut eating contest-- yes that's the fertilized duck embryo boiled eggs that they eat in Survivor and Fear Factor TV shows
6. Six aquamarine bridesmaid dresses that did not fit
7. Seven words in tagalog that Carenna knows, ( Tabi po Nono', tubig, paroparo, salamat po, maganda and Kain na)
8. Eight bouts of prickly heat-poor Carenna
9. Nine hours of marathon shopping in Metro Manila with Cousin Cindy Nieva ( professional shopper)
10. Ten asthma attacks in Manila-not known for air quality
11. Eleven types of rice cakes ( 11 hour hangover for Ella)
12. Twelve of us crammed in a van during the round Marinduque Island Tour
Note: Ditas Katague Thompson is the youngest daughter of Dave and Macrine Katague. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri, She obtained her Bachelors degree in Mass Communications and Art from UC Berkeley, CA. She has also a master's degree from University of Southern California. She has worked for both private and state agencies for the last 15 years. Her five year old daughter, Carenna survived quite well during this trip to Marinduque.
Currently, Ditas is the Director of Census, 2010 for the State of California.
1 comment:
Dear Ditas,
Thank you for your insightful contribution to this project! I am so proud and happy with how you presented Marinduque in such an insightful manner though your visit was a short one.
We need more writers like you who will encapsulate in words, the thoughts, feelings, and emotions we have about the island we love so much.
Considering you hardly know Marinduque, but that is exactly what I meant when we ask others who have been "touched" by an image,an event, or circumstance, which they may want to share just so we find the answer(s) why we still keep going back.
A photograph is surely not enough without its "soul"-the stories of the people around it. It might just as well be an undeveloped negative-in plain black and white.
The short stories that we hope to collect, though may vary, will like be a collage completed for Carenna's generation to feel and enjoy and keep Marinduque in their hearts even tough so many thousands of miles away!
I send you my love and warmest regards!
Tito Yong
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