Fiesta

Yesterday most roads led to Tanjay City that was celebrating its fiesta.  I found the celebration appropriate after the President’s 3rd annual report to the Filipino where he shared the lesson that “nothing is impossible” and appropriately gave the credit to the Filipino people for the continuing improvement of persons, institutions and public governance.  Sharing the good times is like sharing the good news and PNoy’s report was all positive, providing encouragement.

The direction toward becoming better as a person, community and nation has been set and the majority of the citizens are in their own way contributing in the task of building the nation.  Now many are starting to agree that it is more fun in the Philippines.

The promise of fun, entertainment and sumptuous food enticed a lot of Negrense to participate in the fiesta.  An invitation from a Balikbayan to celebrate her visit was a good reason to get the job done early to be able to commute to Tanjay.  It was a new experience to go to a restaurant instead of a house as the host preferred the venue of the caterer.  The memory was tested as old acquaintances joined some sort of reunion and it took humility to accept the reality of having lost their names with the passage of time.  However, after re-learning the name belonging to the face, the updates and exchange of jokes started to flow. 

It was fun to be all ears at the affair as listening to them reminisce on happy days gone by brought back their youthfulness and the child in every heart was given life, making the fiesta more enjoyable.  Maturity was also obvious with the amended pattern of consumption.  The fish and vegetable dishes were more attractive, the consumption of beer significantly declined, and departing for home was early enough to catch the late live newscast.  Yes as we try to become better, life is made more simpler with needs better addressed than wants. 

Let us end with an anecdote that encourages us to smile. His wife met him at the door and seemed somewhat excited. She exclaimed, "Darling, I have the most wonderful surprise for you for dinner tonight!"  She blindfolded him, and led him to his chair at the head of the table, making him promise not to peek. At this point, he was beginning to feel another one coming on. Just as she was about to remove the blindfold, the telephone rang and she went to answer it.

While she was gone, he seized the opportunity. He shifted his weight to one leg and let go. It was not only loud, but ripe as a rotten egg. He gasped and felt for his napkin and fanned the air about him. He had just started to feel better, when another urge came on. This one sounded like a diesel engine revving, and smelled worse. He tried flapping his arms, to clear the air. But another one snuck out, and the windows rattled, the dishes on the table shook, and a minute later, the flowers on the table were dead. When he heard his wife ending her conversation, he neatly laid his napkin on his lap and folded his hands on top of it. He was the picture of innocence when she walked in.
Apologizing for taking so long, she asked if he had peeked at the dinner. He assured her he had not, so she removed the blindfold and yelled, "Surprise!!!" To his shock and horror, there were twelve dinner guests seated around the table for his surprise birthday party.*